Accidents of Fate
by danderson
Summary: Fiyero and Elphaba meet before Shiz. Musicalverse. Rated 'T' for language and content. My third complete multi-chap. THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS, AND THANKS FOR READING!
1. Irony

"You cannot do this to me."

"I already have."

Elphaba Thropp glared at her father, beyond furious at him. "You can't marry me off! How did you even find a family willing to take me?"

"They're a tribal clan, from the Vinkus. Their son is almost of age, and his intended was killed in some sort of... I don't know. They're desperate."

"Of _course_ they are," Elphaba fumed. "You are not a father, you're not a man, no, you're just a devil, aching to get rid of his own _child_!! Well, good riddance to you!"

And with that, the green girl disappeared upstairs to pack, intending to run away before morning.

Elsewhere, Prince Fiyero Tiggular tumbled unceremoniously from a bed he didn't recognize, his head spinning, and scrambled around on the floor for his underwear. "Shit," he muttered. When he finally found what he was looking for, he pulled on his underwear and then went about searching for his pants. With those safely fastened, he stole a glance in the direction of his new friend, a pretty, idiotic girl with what looked to be light brown hair. He wouldn't know her in a crowd to save his life.

After he'd found all his clothes and his pack, stubbed his toe on his way out the door, and fled the house of Anonymous Brown-Haired girl, he took a deep breath in the cold night air. He'd never been so drunk before, but, he supposed, he'd never gone from such a high high to such an unbelievably low low. His intended bride, some random fool from some random land, had gone and _died_, which had been a relief, despite Fiyero's knowledge that feeling that way about someone's death was wicked. But, not even a month later, after he'd just gotten used to the idea of never getting married and simply having frisky, noncommittal sex with legions of women, his parents had notified him that they'd found him a new wife.

One who hadn't already been claimed.

She was probably a dog. A droopy, mangy, pathetic dogwoman. He was much too good-looking to marry some hideous reject, who had failed to be claimed by _anyone_ in her entire life.

So, getting blindass drunk seemed like a pretty good idea. Not that he would recognize it as an _idea_. He wasn't much with the thinking. No, it had simply been second nature.

_What a vacation._ He'd fled the Vinkus, headed for the Emerald City, and somehow ended up in the Glikkus. He was pretty bad at planning, but with all the hunting he had under his belt, he'd thought his navigational skills were better. He'd taken refuge in the house of a girl. He assumed she was pretty, he had his choice of women, after all.

The next day, in the early morning light, Fiyero was exhausted. Hungover, and exhausted, he was a little dizzy, which was probably why he didn't notice that he was staggering right toward someone sleeping at the side of the road, and definitely why he tripped over that person.

The Previously-Asleep Lump shot up instantly, confused and furious. It was a girl. Fiyero knew that he was sick, the girl looked _green._ "What in the name of Oz? You practically fell on me!"

"You were lying in the dark on a _road,"_ Fiyero shot back, determined to take no blame in this mishap. "Seriously, what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

The green girl pulled herself up to her full height, squaring her shoulders and setting her jaw. "I'm running away. What are _you_ doing?"

Fiyero looked at this green girl curiously. She couldn't have been much younger than him. What had gone so wrong already in her life that she had to run away from something? "Also running away," he shrugged. "What are you running from?"

"A horrendous arranged marriage with some stupid Prince from the stupid Vinkus," Elphaba grumbled, folding her arms over her chest in as close to a sulk as Elphaba could get.

Fiyero was dumbfounded. He had run away from his arranged bride, only to bump into her on the road? He had to assume he was the "stupid Prince from the stupid VInkus". The others were either married or too young to do so. "A Winkie, eh?"

"That's a derogatory term," Elphaba corrected him.

Fiyero smiled at her, until it occurred to him that, unless they escaped, he was smiling at his future wife, one who clearly did _not_ want to marry him. In all his worries about who _she'd_ be, he'd never stopped to think that his intended might have a problem with marrying _him._ Who would? "Sorry," he said. "Apologize to your _husband_ for me."

"He's not my husband yet," Elphaba fumed. "And he won't be."

"What's his name?"

"I don't even know, and I don't intend to."

"You've never heard of him?" Fiyero was wounded - he was _Oz famous._ Did this girl live under a rock?

"No."

"Alright, then" Fiyero sighed. "What's yours?"

She studied him. Elphaba Thropp was not one to trust readily, or to believe that someone would be curious about anything beyond her skin. Finally, she exhaled and muttered, "Elphaba. Elphaba Thropp."

That sounded familiar. Was it because she was his intended bride, or...? "Is that a famous name?"

"Not particularly, unless you count Saint Aelphaba," she replied, examining her simple frock for dirt or rips. "Anyway, good luck on your journey," she said, gathering up her small bag of personal belongings and turning to leave.

"Wait," Fiyero said, not sure why he was saying it. "It's not really safe, you being out here, travelling alone..."

"Well, I survived my meeting with you, didn't I?"

"I'm a decent guy," Fiyero argued. "Mostly. But not everyone out there is decent. Most aren't," he added, thinking of some of the men he knew. "Let's... We could travel together, for awhile. I'd feel better about it, and it would be nice to have some company."

"I'm not very good company," Elphaba informed him, wondering why he wanted to spend time with her. Fiyero was wondering the same thing. He'd been _running from her_. Now he was going to be her bestest friend and travel with her? Why did he care?

"I don't care if you're good company or not," he said. "Bad company is better than no company."

"You have no idea how wrong I'm going to prove you," she murmured.


	2. Anagram

"I'm Fiyero," Fiyero said, extending a hand in her direction. "Fiyero Tiggular."

Elphaba took his hand politely, and shook it twice. She wondered if anyone had ever offered to touch her before, and found it impossible to look him in the eye.

"How old are you, anyway?" The sharp look she gave him made him feel uncomfortable. "...Aren't you a little young to be married?"

"I'm seventeen," Elphaba said. "It wasn't supposed to take place until I turned eighteen, in a few months." She made a tense facial expression, then changed the subject. "So, where are we headed?"

"Where were you headed before?"

"The Emerald City, via the Glikkus, to remain off any main roads in Munchkinland," Elphaba said, to let him know she wasn't stupid enough to get lost and end up _here _by _accident._ "I figured I could maybe blend in there," she admitted, as an aftherthought.

She was definitely green. Fiyero almost didn't notice it until she mentioned it. It suited her.

"Sounds perfect," he said, not wanting to admit that he'd been trying to go there also, and ended up lost. "Shall we?"

They set out on their journey, wandering mostly in silence, until, finally, Fiyero couldn't take any more nonsound. "We've been travelling for hours and you've barely said a word," he complained, sometime around noon.

"What is there to say?" Elphaba asked. "Shall I point out the sameness of the scenery, the unchanging dustiness of the road?"

She had a point, in her way. Their surroundings weren't exactly inspiring. "Well, tell me about yourself. About this arranged marriage, and why you don't fancy being a princess."

"I scarcely know you well enough to confide anything personal, but, considering the impersonal nature of an arranged marriage... I can answer very few questions, but I'll try." Elphaba took a deep breath, then began. "This marriage, this deal my father has struck, is very new, otherwise I would have run off _years_ ago. Apparently, this young man's _intended_ bride had the misfortune of an untimely death, and, desperate for a replacement, his parents settled on me. I don't fancy being a princess because I want _more._"

"More than being royalty?"

"An education, for one," she said, as if it should be obvious. "Then, I'm not sure. A teacher, a writer, a doctor... The point is, nobody left any choice for me. I had no choice in a husband, and would have no choice as his wife, either. My entire life has been limited, and I want -" she stopped herself, realizing she was sharing too much.

"What?" Fiyero asked, curious. "What do you want?"

He awaited her answer eagerly. Her voice was captivating: passionate and musical. It took her a long time to speak, but she did.

"I want a future that is _un_limited," she stated, quietly.

Fiyero felt a shiver run through his body. How did she give him chills like that? Perhaps, simply because he believed her. He'd never met anyone overtly genuine, but he knew she certainly wasn't a phony. "Maybe this prince would let you have that, you never know," Fiyero suggested.

"Perhaps," Elphaba conceded. "But it's a risk I'm not willing to take."

"Fair enough," Fiyero shrugged. "What did you mean, before, about your life being limited?"

Elphaba frowned a little. "That's far too personal."

"Some other time, maybe," he replied, casually.

Elphaba's reply to _that_ was silence. After awhile, she spoke, which surprised Fiyero. "So what are you running from?"

Fiyero couldn't say "an arranged marriage". He didn't even feel comfortable saying he was from the Vinkus, as large of a region as it was. "Not really running _from_ anything... More, I guess, _toward_ something. I'm not sure what."

"That's as good a reason as any," Elphaba assured him.

The afternoon grew hot, and they were relieved to spot a small community in the distance. "Wait, before we head in there," Elphaba said, stretching her arm out to block his path. "Do you feel the need for a secret identity?"

"Good thinking," he sighed, impressed. She might not need one, but he definitely did. "How will we pick names?"

"I don't know, an anagram?" Elphaba thought about their names for a moment. "Do you realize you have every available vowel, _plus_ the optional 'y' in your name?"

Fiyero just stared at her. _What's an anagram? Like a telegram? Only... From Ana? Does she make up names for a living? How would she find us? How would we SEND someth-_

"I can make 'Ralf' out of your name nicely. But the leftover letters are horrible. I don't want it to be too complicated. Ralf is simple."

"I could be a Ralf," Fiyero said. "What about you?" _R-A-L-F. All letters in 'Fiyero Tiggular'... And then, there are leftover letters. So anagram means making a word out of another word?_

"My name offers nothing to play with," Elphaba lamented.

Fiyero thought, hard, harder than he'd ever dared to think before.

"What about... Phae?"

"With a 'p-h' instead of an 'f'?" Elphaba seemed to think about it. "Actually, Fabala is a pet form of Elphaba... I think 'Fae' is, too." She paused. "Ralf and Phae. What are our last names?"

He was on a roll, now.

"I'll be Ralf Firo and you'll be Phae Elba."

Elphaba laughed lightly. "I like it. _Phae."_ She tried. She directed her gaze at Fiyero. "Hello, Ralf."

"Hullo, Phae."

Fiyero stretched his arms over his head and out to the sides. "I'm about as hungry as I've ever been," he announced.

Elphaba smiled briefly and nodded.

They entered the small community quietly, Elphaba keeping her head ducked out of habit. Fiyero, not thinking (big surprise), swaggered casually down the main road, not minding whether people stared at him or not. People _always _ stared. It was a compliment.

Elphaba waited outside a local store while Fiyero went in and purchased them some bread and water, and they took their small picnic away from the eyes of the townspeople and ate in happy silence. Elphaba insisted on paying Fiyero for her half of the meal, which he found ridiculous, but he took her money to appease her.

Later, when she wasn't looking, he slipped it into her bag.

They travelled onward until before dinner, and, upon coming across another grouping of houses and shops, decided it was safest to eat dinner now, while they were sure to get a meal. Fiyero once again took Elphaba's money, then pocketed it, and found a way to slip it back to her when she wasn't paying attention. He wondered why he insisted on paying her way - he'd always been rich, but never generous.

Rather than dwell on the implications of his actions for too long, he simply shrugged them off and focused on Elphaba's long hair and deep eyes. As the day had gone on, she'd become less rigid, little by little. She wasn't _friendly_ by any means, but she wasn't particularly cold, either.

"What do we do about sleeping?" Fiyero paused. "I mean, as fantastic as your previous method of being run over on the road was..."

"It's not my fault you were so stupidly drunk you didn't know where you were going," Elphaba replied, sounding stuck-up.

"What makes you think I was drunk?"

"You stank of liquor and couldn't focus on one object to save your life," she informed him.

"Well, Miss Smarty Pants, I _wasn't_ drunk, I was _hungover._" Fiyero looked pleased with himself. "I was surprised that you looked green. I thought my eyesight was going and it made me a little dizzy," Fiyero commented, shrugging. "But other than that I was functioning quite well, I think."

Elphaba stiffened, but Fiyero didn't notice. "Well."

"Anyway, I got some water in me and some hours under my belt, and now I'm a lot better. But that doesn't mean some other drunken fellow won't be wandering or, Oz forbid, driving a cart," Fiyero pointed out.

Elphaba wondered why Fiyero had been so casual about her skin colour, and was now changing the subject. "So what do you suggest?"

"Head back over to those people, ask if they rent rooms out," Fiyero suggested, pointing.

"I didn't bring enough money to rent a room," Elphaba said.

"Then I'll pay for your room."

"No you won't."

Fiyero sighed, thought about possible arguments for awhile, then, fruitless, sighed again. "Please?" he finally tried.

"You made some very good points, but still, no," Elphaba said dryly.

"Then... I'll buy some blankets and we'll make a camp somewhere before it gets dark," Fiyero grumbled.

"You're free to rent a room," Elphaba breezed. "We never said we'd stay together forever."

_Together forever_. Fiyero felt like he should tell her she was promised to him, but had the sneaking suspicion she'd run off and he'd never see her again. Feeling clever for realizing that, he kept his mouth shut on the subject and responded to her observation. "Are you anxious to be rid of me?"

"No," Elphaba said, though too quickly for her liking. "I'm just... You don't have to sleep on the ground on my account."

"It will be an honour and a pleasure, my dear travelling companion," Fiyero proclaimed, and, with that, set off to find items to keep him warm at night.


	3. Characterization

"I've put in a solid day of travel with you," Fiyero said that night as they lay on opposite sides of a fire he'd built, bundled in their makeshift beds. "I feel as though I deserve _something_ of a more personal nature."

"You do, do you," came the wry response from the other side of the flames. "Aren't you presumptuous."

"I'm not, I'm just hopeful."

"Brainlessly optimistic is more like it," Elphaba murmured. "Alright. If you ask a suitable question, I will consider answering it."

Fiyero hadn't really expected her to consent. A day with Elphaba had almost worked to undo the years of getting his way. "Alright," he said. "Do you have any siblings?"

Silence radiated from Elphaba's side of their camp. "A sister," she said after awhile. "Nessarose. She's younger, and beautiful." Elphaba paused. "Our mother was beautiful, too."

"Well, so are - Wait. _Was_?"

Elphaba mentally smacked herself in the head. "Yes, before she got old," she tried to joke.

"That's not what you meant."

"How do _you_ know?"

Fiyero inwardly groaned. She was mad again. Figuring he couldn't do much more damage at this point, he replied, "You sounded sad about it." _Why do I put so much thought into this girl?_

"She died when Nessa was born," Elphaba admitted.

"I'm sorry," Fiyero offered.

After a beat, Elphaba answered him. "Thank you."

They didn't speak again for a long while. Eventually, feeling like he might be able to sleep soon, Fiyero mumbled, "G'night, Phae," quietly into the dimness.

Mostly asleep, Elphaba muttered, "Night," back at him, and they slept.

Fiyero had never really camped out under the stars before. When he and his tribe had gone on long hunting trips, they'd brought heavy canvas tents along with them for the royalty, and Fiyero, being royal, had quite happily enjoyed that luxury. Even as a boy, camping out had been near his house, and usually in a makeshift fort or under the cover of trees. But that night, exposed to the elements, in the middle of nowhere, he gazed at the stars overhead and found peace in the practice. He also found himself wishing he could watch Elphaba watch the stars, but he couldn't see her through the fire, and, as said fire grew dimmer, he lost the light by which to view her, anyway. By the time it had burnt out, it was pitch black and they were both asleep, anyway.

The next morning, Elphaba woke to the chill, and huddled under her blanket, watching the stars fade into the increasingly bright pinks and blues of dawn. Fiyero, too, woke early, and, shivering a little, turned to gaze at Elphaba across the collection of rocks and ash that separated them. He watched her staring upward and smiled at the dreamy quality of her facial expression. "Morning," he said, warmly.

She glanced at him, her face now expressionless, and he cursed himself for interrupting her peaceful bliss. "Good morning."

"It's chilly out," he commented, pulling his blanket tightly up to his chin. "Are you warm enough?"

Elphaba nodded mutely, trying not to shiver. Fiyero sat up and studied her. "No you're not," he argued, and stood, pulling on his jacket, then picking up his blanket and walking to her. He gently draped it over her, looking at her as if to ask, 'Did you really think you could fool me?' Elphaba frowned a little, but felt instantly warmer, so she didn't argue. She also noticed that his blanket smelled like him, though she'd never really noticed him having a smell before. He sat down near her feet and pulled a chunk of bread out of his bag, ripped it in half, and held a piece out to her. Her hand snaked out from under her blankets and took the offering.

"Thank you," she said, just before he held a canteen of water out to her. She propped herself up on an elbow a little, and drank. "Did you sleep well?"

"After I got over the intense beauty of the night sky, yes, I did," he replied, his mouth full of bread. Elphaba found herself amused at such a thoughtful response being given by a mouth currently mangling a chunk of food. He was still a manly man, even at his most soulful. "You?"

"Yes, thank you," she answered. "We should probably get moving," she suggested a moment later.

Fiyero nodded and stood, then offered a hand to help her up. She looked at it as if she'd never seen one before, then, looked into his eyes. He smiled at her and nodded in the direction of his outstretched hand.

Despite her better judgement, Elphaba placed her hand in his. It was strong, but smooth, and a little cold in the early morning air. Her hand was warmer, and he liked the feel of it in his. He pulled her out of bed in one swift, effortless motion, but kept his hand clasped around hers, even as she stood mere inches from him, clearly able to balance on her own. Too stunned at the heady feeling of being near to him to speak, Elphaba simply stayed lost in his eyes, which was alright by Fiyero. Only when she shivered again did he release his hold on her, bending to scoop a blanket up and wrap it around her.

He smiled down at her. "You're all wrapped up, like a present," he pointed out. He paused. "Best gift I ever got." Elphaba flushed furiously, and bowed her head, but didn't pull away. Her cheeks had the slightest pink tinge, which Fiyero found adorable on her green skin. "Come on, gift from the unnamed gods," Fiyero said, displaying a knowledge of Munchkinland Unionism that surprised even him. "Let's get moving." He made a mental note to someday find out why a green person still blushed pink.

Their second day was much like the first, with Elphaba saying very little and Fiyero feeling grouchy about it. It wasn't that he didn't _try_ to coax information out of her. "What's your favorite colour? What's your sister's name? What's your favorite book? Do you like school? When's your birthday? What do you think of my shirt?" ...

The only question she answered was the question about his shirt, and her answer was: "It's nice."

"Elphaba!"

"Phae," she reminded him.

"Tell me about yourself!"

"What don't _you_ tell me about _yourself?_"

Fiyero paused. _I'm a Prince from the Vinkus. You're my intended bride. My favorite colour is blue. _"Because I already know about me," he said, shrugging. Elphaba smirked. "What's your favorite colour?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Blue," she said, finally.

Fiyero grinned. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"It was excruciating," Elphaba informed him. "What's _your_ favorite colour?"

"I'm quite partial to blue, myself," he breezed. _Green is starting to grow on me, though. Green is a pretty great colour, actually. Grass is green, trees are green, plants - well, lots of nature is green. I like nature. Emeralds are green... Absinthe is green... YOU'RE green..._

"Look, there," Elphaba said, pulling him out of his thoughts. She was pointing in the distance, and he followed her gaze.

_The Emerald City is green... _"Wow, we're getting close," Fiyero said. He was both excited and nervous. Once they reached the Emerald City, would they part ways?

"Let's keep moving," Elphaba said, her voice eager.

Fiyero, seeing her excited, had to comply. They acquired lunch in a small community, and continued walking. Later, they came across a small city, which surprised them. They knew they must be close to the emerald epicentre, as they observed the cobblestone streets and horsedrawn carriages.

"Tonight, we're sleeping indoors," Fiyero announced. "We're exhausted, and we deserve it."

"But -"

"And I won't hear talk of money. I have money, so it doesn't matter. Don't argue with me. You're very clever, and very stubborn, but you won't win."

"And why not?"

"Because I will pick you up and carry you there if I have to," Fiyero said, raising an eyebrow at her and cocking his head to the side.

They found a boarding house quickly.


	4. Verisimilitude

"I am Mrs. Drek," the woman who answered the door said. She looked to be in her fifties, and not a friendly sort of woman. "Welcome to Drek's Lodging."

"Hello, I'm Ralf Firo," Fiyero said, extending his hand toward the woman, who didn't move to take it.

"I assume the two of you are married," the woman said sternly, narrowing her eyes at them. "To each other."

"Of course," Fiyero lied easily. Elphaba said nothing. "This is my wife, Phae."

"Newlyweds?"

Elphaba flushed at the implication, and Fiyero squeezed her hand tightly. "Yes, we're almost on day three now," he smiled.

"Well, there's a room here, but it's no honeymoon suite," the woman warned.

"The room doesn't matter, as long as we're together," Elphaba said boldly, finally finding her voice. "We want to see many different places, and traditions, and apply our favourites to our own home."

Fiyero grinned at her, feeling a little high at corrupting her, if only slightly.

Mrs. Drek softened. "What a lovely idea," she praised quietly. "Really, for two such young people, to have such a mature outlook. Let me show you to your room," she said, stepping back to let them in.

Fiyero gathered up their bags, which bothered Elphaba. She reached for her bag, but Fiyero held it out of her reach, and instead wrapped his free arm around her waist. "Phae, at least let me carry your bag for you while we're on our honeymoon. As soon as we set up house, I promise, I won't help you with anything ever again."

Elphaba smirked and nodded in compliance. Fiyero paid Mrs. Drek immediately, according to the rates specified outside her door, and they were shown to a room with a double bed and a small dresser. Elphaba had known they wouldn't be given a room with separate beds, but, still, this bed looked _really_ small.

"Enjoy your evening. We've already served dinner, but if you want a snack, you may join me in the kitchen and we can find you something," Mrs. Drek suggested.

"No, thank you, ma'am, we anticipated being late for dinner, and found something to eat on the way," Fiyero replied, smiling at her warmly.

_He's so charming,_ Elphaba thought to herself. "We're really rather tired," she piped up. "This is the nicest room we've seen so far." Mrs. Drek didn't need to know that they'd been sleeping outside for the past two nights. Or, rather, that Elphaba had. She wasn't sure how long Fiyero had been on the road.

The woman looked pleased to hear that, and nodded, once, as a farewell. "Have an enjoyable evening," she said, and then she vanished, closing the door behind her.

Fiyero's shoulders instantly slumped as he turned to stare longingly at the bed. "Well, I am dead tired," he said, reaching for the extra blanket that was folded on the end of the bed and grabbing a pillow, which he dropped on the floor. It hadn't even occurred to Elphaba that Fiyero would give up sleeping in the bed, and, though it was tempting to hide behind her fear and let him suffer through the night, she knew she couldn't do it.

"What are you doing?"

Fiyero just looked at her for a moment, trying to comprehend her needing to ask such a question. "Making up a bed," he finally answered.

"You can't sleep on the floor. What if someone comes in before we wake up? What if it's cold? What if... _it's the floor_?"

"I couldn't invade your personal space like that," Fiyero murmured.

"You can, and you will," Elphaba said. "Now, turn around, so I can change."

Fiyero did as he was told, and turned back when she said it was alright. Her nightgown was just as shapeless as her other clothing, but it wasn't black, it was an off-white, which was nice in the soft glow of the single candle on the nightstand. "You look nice," he commented.

Elphaba busied herself folding her clothing and tucking it in her bag, while Fiyero pulled off his shirt and dug through his sack for another. "Maybe we could do a load of wash while we're here," he pondered out loud.

"That would be good," Elphaba agreed, glancing at him, which she quickly regretted. Her mouth went dry at the sight of his body, so strong, so definitely masculine, and she turned to look out the window, instead. When she heard the bed creak a little behind her, she turned back to find him sitting on one side, and the blankets pulled back on the other.

"Are you sure you're comfortable with this?"

Elphaba wasn't really comfortable with it. Not only was she going to be sleeping very close to someone, that _someone_ was this man, this gorgeous man, with beautiful blue eyes and a smile like bottled joy splashed on his face. But she wanted to sleep in a bed, and didn't want to make him sleep on the floor. Also, she was freezing. "Of course," she replied, trying to sound like she meant it.

She settled into the bed, shivering, and heard Fiyero blow out the candle, felt him settle down. The bed really _was_ small; her back was almost touching his side. She shivered again, as if her body was trying to work its attraction to him out of itself. Instantly, she felt Fiyero's hand rubbing her arm, his other hand rubbing the top of her back. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his hands on her, enjoyed being warm and cozy in a bed, and then, reminded herself not to enjoy any of this. He stopped just in time. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Alright. Good night, Phae."

Elphaba chuckled. "Good night, Ralf."

They drifted off, Fiyero on his back, Elphaba on her side, facing away from him. Fiyero had never really _drfted_ with anyone before. He'd passed out, drunk, or passed out, spent, or, more often, pretended to pass out, and then disappeared. Next to Elphaba, a woman of class, and brains, and clearly-defined morals, he felt ashamed of himself for the first time in his life. She would never have behaved the way he'd done in the past, and would never think highly of anyone who had. Her breathing was even, and it soothed him.

_It could be like this_, he thought. _We're supposed to get married. It could be like this, always._ He fell asleep vaguely pondering the idea of being lulled to sleep by her breath every night for the rest of his life.

Some hours later, Elphaba woke to find her right arm stretched out under Fiyero's pillow, her left arm tucked up between their bodies, flush up against him, facing him. With a gasp, she sprung away from him, mortified that she'd turned to him and snuggled up against him in her sleep. Her movement woke him up, and he sat up on his left elbow, reaching out to cup her cheek in his right hand. "Shh," he whispered. "It was a dream, you're alright."

Elphaba's heart was thumping, her temperature suddenly high at the touch of his hand. "Oh, I... Yes, I'm alright."

Forgetting propriety, or perhaps, choosing not to care, Fiyero reached out and pulled her back against him, rubbing her back with one hand and stroking her hair with the other. She was rigid in his arms awhile, her arm still tucked up between them, but, sooner than she would have liked, she felt herself relax, and, ever so slightly, she rested her hand hear her face, on his chest.

The next morning, Elphaba woke first, but felt hazy and unwilling to move for awhile. She let herself lie close to Fiyero, feeling the rise and fall of his broad chest and listening to his breathing, not unlike a faint snore, then, telling herself that everyone should experience lying next to someone like that at least once, and that that was why she'd allowed herself to linger, she pulled herself carefully away from him. She somehow managed to put her slip on underneath her nightdress, then, after a hasty glance over her shoulder at Fiyero, pulled off her nightclothing and starting putting on her clothes.

From the bed, Fiyero felt the absence of Elphaba's body reach him in the depths of his sleep and it woke him. He opened one eye, and spotted her pulling on her skirt. Guiltily, he squinted, peering at her through his lashes, feeling like he'd been wrong about beauty his entire life. How could he have thought anything unlike Elphaba was even mildly attractive? Her shirt was on too soon, and she was fully clothed once more. He closed his eyes tight as he saw her turn toward him.

Watching him slumber, Elphaba felt the desire to undress again and climb back into bed with him. "How are you so beautiful?" She hadn't meant to say it out loud, but the words, her _thoughts_, had escaped her mouth. Panicked, Elphaba picked up her bag. Though those five words had been barely audible, they were too much. "I have to get out of here," she whispered.

Fiyero had heard her question, and fought the urge to grin, but it was easy to suppress that response, now. He opened his eyes and shifted, pretending to be in the midst of waking, and searched for her. "Morning, Phae," he yawned. He rubbed his eyes. "It's bright in here." He sat up and trained his eyes on her, daring her to abandon him now.

His eyes were bright in the sunlight, even brighter than usual, his hair tousled, his smile weary. He was, in a word, adorable.

"Good morning," Elphaba replied, stiffly.

"Have you been up long?"

She shifted her weight. "No," she answered.

"But you're dressed," he observed. "And packed. Were you leaving?" He couldn't hide that he was hurt, and Elphaba felt guilty.

"I was going to do the wash. I was about to gather your things, also," she lied.

"Oh." Fiyero didn't know whether to be upset that she would lie to him, or happy that she couldn't actually look him in the face and then leave him. So, instead, he chose to feel hungry, which was very easy. "Do you think we've missed breakfast?"

Elphaba smiled at the overt maleness of his question. "Only one way to find out," she said.

After Fiyero had run his fingers through his hair and changed into suitable day clothes, they descended the stairs together. Neither were prepared for the table full of people serving themselves from large platters along the centre. Elphaba froze at their stares, having fallen into a false sense of normalcy in her time with Fiyero. When she caught _him_ looking at her, he never looked repulsed, or judgemental. He was usually gazing into her eyes, or at her in a unfocused, glossy way. It made her squirm, but for different reasons.

Raising her chin in grim determination, she stepped into the room, but was pulled to a stop by Fiyero's hand in hers. Before she could comprehend it, he had leaned to her and kissed her cheek near her ear.

"Good morning," he said to the room, entering.

Mrs. Drek introduced the couple. "This is Ralf Firo, and his wife, Phae. They arrived last night after supper."

A young woman at the table glared at Elphaba, then scanned her left hand and found no ring. "Where are your wedding rings?"

"That's a rather invasive question," Mrs. Drek said.

"At home, where they're safe," Elphaba answered. "We're travelling all over, and wouldn't want to risk losing them or having them stolen."

Breakfast was fairly uneventful. Most people stared at Elphaba, but the woman alternately gazed at the handsome Fiyero, which made him uncomfortable for the first time in his life. _It's pretty rude to stare at a man in front of his wife,_ he thought. _Don't they realize that?_

After breakfast, Elphaba thanked Mrs. Drek for the meal, and inquired about doing a load of wash. While she was elsewhere, a man approached Fiyero. "Ralf Firo?"

Fiyero nodded, and smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"You look an awful lot like Prince Fiyero Tiggular, of the Vinkus," the man said.

"Hmmm," Fiyero pondered. "I wonder if I could parlay that into a cushy lifestyle?"

"Sir, I _know_ you're Fiyero Tiggular," the man said. "I'm just wondering why you're lying about it."

"My wife hates being treated differently because of it. It's uncomfortable to watch people look at her with disgust and then feigned civility and respect," Fiyero ad-libbed quickly. "Please, don't even let on to her that you know."

"Sure, if you'll answer me one more question," the man said.

"Alright," Fiyero replied, glancing around for Elphaba hastily.

"Has she always been... _green_?"

Fiyero smiled. "As far as I know."

"And you don't mind?"

"That, my friend, is more than one question," Fiyero pointed out. Elphaba returned to the dining room and he stepped toward her, then turned back. "But, no, I don't mind," he answered. "She's beautiful, and the love of my life."

The man could see the honesty in Fiyero's eyes, and smiled at him as he rejoined his peculiar wife. He saw her smile at Fiyero, and, in that moment, recognized her beauty.

"We can do wash here," Elphaba told Fiyero. "There's a Wash Room for launder and bathing. Only..."

"What?"

"Well, she expects us to use it together," Elphaba said. "I didn't know how to argue with that."

Fiyero laughed. "That's the first time something's outsmarted you, isn't it," he guessed.

Elphaba scowled at him, then chuckled. "I believe it is," she admitted coolly. "So what do we do?"

"Cover ourselves with towels, leave out our cleanest clothes, occupy ourselves while the launder dries, hope for the best," Fiyero planned.


	5. Epithet

The Washing Room contained a large tub for clothes, a drying rack, and a huge tub for people to wash in. It was all one room, the person in the tub would have little privacy, if any. It would be unfair to ask for two separate baths, and Mrs. Drek wouldn't understand.

"You bathe first," Fiyero said. "You're probably cleaner than I am, anyway. I'll, uh... turn around," he said. "I'd start the laundry, but I don't know how," he admitted.

"It's alright, I'll do it when I'm done," she said as she slipped into the hot water. He heard her gasp, and his head jerked in her direction.

"Are you alright?"

"It's just very hot," she said. "I'll get out fast, so you can enjoy it," she promised. She washed quickly, wishing she could stay in the tub for another hour, and moved to get out, but then realized she had no towel. "Um... Ralf," she said, glancing at him. He was still busying himself sorting through his laundry, smelling various articles of clothing, thinking back over the last couple of days to remember what he'd worn least.

"Yes, Phae?"

"Could you hand me a towel?"

Fiyero grinned. "You mean, turn around and hand you one?"

Elphaba leaned against the tub, her stomach and breasts flush up against the side, and let her arms dangle over the side. "Go ahead," she said, daring in her voice.

He turned around slowly, then saw that there was nothing to see, and handed her the towel with a vague disappointment on his face. "You're not so fearless," he prodded.

"I'm modest," she countered. "It's a good thing. Turn around." He did, and she quickly wrapped the towel around herself and hopped out of the water. "There," she said, to let him know she was done. He turned to look at her, then at the tub. Shrugging, he slipped out of his clothes, causing Elphaba to whirl away from him, embarrassed.

"I'm not so modest," he admitted, laughing. She heard the splash of him slipping into the water and turned toward their laundry. "I'll do my own, if you'll show me how," he said, not wanting to take advantage.

"I'll start some of my heavier clothing, the stuff that will need more time to dry," she said. "Do you have anything made of thick material?"

"Do pants count?"

Elphaba picked up a pair of his pants and felt their thickness. "Not really," she said, before realizing that his pants were personal, and dropping them, embarrassed.

"How did you get out of this water? It's soooo good," Fiyero sighed.

"Out of courtesy for you," Elphaba said through her teeth.

"You're a good wife," he mumbled, head back against the edge of the tub and eyes closed.

Elphaba, rolling her eyes, started their wash. After awhile, Fiyero got out of the tub, groaning, and sauntered over to grab a towel, which he wrapped around his waist. Standing close to Elphaba, he watched her work. "How do you know what to do?"

"I do all the laundry at home," she answered.

"That doesn't seem fair," Fiyero murmured. "Teach me."

Elphaba eyed him. "You don't want to get dressed first?"

Fiyero half-smiled at her. "Phae, it's just my body. Everybody's got one, we're all born naked, it's not a big deal."

"It is to me."

"Why?"

"I - I'm not sure... Perhaps, I don't know, it just seems like it's none of my business," she said, finally. She didn't want to admit that she wished it _were_ her business, that his broad shoulders, tapered waist, and muscular chest could be perused and explored at her leisure.

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable," he said, earnestly. "But I also want you to know that it's not none of your business. We're not strangers. We're friends, we're - I trust you."

Elphaba looked Fiyero up and down, then met his gaze. "You trust me?"

"I feel totally at ease with you, like it doesn't matter what I'm wearing, like I can say anything. It's nice," Fiyero said, reaching up to thumb Elphaba's chin. "Don't you think it's nice?"

His body was so warm, and close to hers. And it looked so good, and he smelled so nice. It really wasn't fair, he wasn't fighting fair. Elphaba closed her eyes, and, a moment later, felt Fiyero's lips on her cheek. He lingered close to her, his breath brushing her face, one hand still cupping her chin, and the other on her arm. "It's nice," Elphaba relented. "It's nice to have a friend."

Fiyero kissed her cheek again, then, knowing he was going to end up making their relationship really awkward if he stood near her much longer, gently released her from his grasp, and pulled on one of his cleaner shirts and a pair of sleeping shorts under his towel, as Elphaba stayed frozen where she was, still savouring the moment.

Fiyero studied the look on her face, and almost leaned in to kiss her,_really_ kiss her, but thought better of it. "Well, I guess we should, uh, keep working at this," he said, clearing this throat.

Elphaba nodded, forcing herself to snap back to reality.

Hours later, their clothes were still drying and it was getting dark once more. They had spent the day in their room; Elphaba had found a book and, three pages in, become so annoyed with Fiyero's constant interrupting that she'd gone back to the beginning and read it aloud to him. Mrs. Drek had brought them lunch at one point, looking confused to see them sitting so far apart, until she realized that Elphaba was reading to Fiyero.

"Thank you, Mrs. Drek," Fiyero had said, gesturing toward the tray of food.

"We'd have come down if we'd known, you didn't have to inconvenience yourself," Elphaba added.

"Nonsense," Mrs. Drek said. "I'm more than happy to bring you your lunch, especially on your honeymoon. Though, you're sitting rather far apart," she mused, quietly.

"That's my fault," Fiyero said, shrugging helplessly. "I find myself unable to quit distracting her. I'm earning her back though - she used to be sitting all the way across the room!"

"If you'd learn to pay attention -"

"I'm paying attention to _you_," he grinned. He turned to Mrs. Drek for support. "Can you blame me?"

Mrs. Drek found it inappropriate to comment on such a thing (her comment about sitting far apart had been brazen enough), so she simply shrugged innocently, placed the tray down, and left.

"Come sit by me," Fiyero said, holding out an arm and making an awfully inviting little nook for her. "It's chilly in here, anyway. Bring that blanket with you."

And so, by the time Mrs. Drek returned with dinner, Elphaba was curled up under Fiyero's arm, and the two of them were curled up in the extra blanket. Elphaba read softly, while Fiyero curled her hair around his finger and listened to her dreamily. Eventually, Elphaba began to nod off, and Fiyero took the book from her, pulled her close to him, and sank down so that they could rest up, though his mind was racing.

Fiyero was, though he hated to admit it, scared. He felt the need to protect and nurture Elphaba, and wondered what would happen if he couldn't do those things. He worried that she would leave him, or that harm would befall her, or that he might ask her for her heart and find himself met with nothing but the sight of her fleeing.

Elphaba had seemingly voiced fear about him. He could only assume that, that morning, when she'd asked that fateful question, it had implied that she felt _something_ for him. But her response to that had been to run. He'd caught her fully packed and on the way out the door. If she _did_ like him, she wasn't comfortable with it. So if they liked each other... She could still leave him. He was nervous about losing her; he didn't want to lose her _because_ she liked him!

Fiyero had a headache. The only way to sort through his thoughts was to_think_, and he suspected he was overusing his previously-asleep brain. He tried to breathe deep and shut his mind off. He let Elphaba's breathing rock him to sleep once more. While basking in the joy of it, he simultaneously reminded himself not to get too used to the habit.

The next morning he woke first, which was odd. He got up, despite wanting to cuddle (or, perhaps, _because_ he wanted to cuddle, and it made him feel like a sissy) to collect their laundry.

It wasn't until he got to where it had been hung to dry that he realized some of Elphaba's more personal clothing was there.

"Oh, Oz," he sighed, wanting to leaf through it, and feeling like a pervert. "I'm so stupidly male." Weighing his options in his mind, he decided that, no matter how nice it would be for him to collect her laundry for her, she would be enraged that he'd handled her... personal items. With a sigh, he started to head back up to his room, unbuttoning his shirt as he moved, and bumped into Mrs. Drek in the hallway. "Good morning," he smiled.

"Good morning, Mr. Firo. You're up early," she commented.

"I'm pretty surprised about it, myself," he nodded.

"I trust you slept well, enough, though?"

"Oh, very well," he grinned, remembering a point during the night when, shivering slightly, Elphaba had writhed herself even closer to him. "It's unfortunate that we'll have be on our way today," he added. It really was. Beyond the fact that playing husband to Elphaba's wife was thrilling, he assumed there would be no more beds in his future.

"Well, we'll be sad to see you go, but there is much more culture to experience," Mrs. Drek said. "It's best for you to see as much of it as you can." She stood up a little straighter, and was back to business. "Now, I'm sure your wife would like it if she didn't have to wake up alone."

Fiyero nodded, and returned to the room to find Elphaba sitting up, hugging her knees to her chest and staring out the window. She turned to look at him when he entered. "Morning, Phae," he smiled.

She smiled back, softly. She'd wondered where he was, but hadn't been overly concerned. His things were still there, after all. And he wasn't like _her_, he wouldn't flee like a coward. "You're up early."

"I thought I'd collect up our laundry, then, when I got there, I realized you probably wouldn't want me going through your things..." he raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded in agreement. "Then, on the way back, I bumped into someone in the hall."

Elphaba pondered for half a second before assuming it was one of the women who was staying at Drek's Lodging. "I see."

Fiyero didn't understand why she suddenly looked so cold. "Yeah, I said we had to be on our way today." Elphaba wondered what that had to do with anything, and, for some reason, felt the tight fist of jealousy tightening on her esophagus. Why was he telling her about this?

"How'd she take it?"

"Well, she's sad to see us go, but understands. Then, she sent me back here before you woke, though it didn't work out," he shrugged. _How'd Elphaba know it was a woman? A good guess, I guess._

"Well that was considerate of her," Elphaba grumbled.

"I guess." Fiyero dropped onto the bed next to her and rubbed her back, and she shifted away from him. "Hey," he protested.

"You can go back, you know. I'm awake, and it's not like it matters anyway."

"Go back where? To the laundry room? I'll get our stuff if you want, I just didn't want to invade -"

"No, not to the laundry," Elphaba spat, her tone of voice condescending. "To your social hour out in the -"

"Wait a minute," Fiyero interrupted. "I'm going to stop you right there, and inform you that I bumped into _Mrs. Drek_ in the hall. If you want to continue your little speech, feel free."

Elphaba was silent. Shocked to stillness. Why had she assumed that Fiyero had run off and fooled around with some random woman? And then come back and _told her about it_? She shook her head, feeling her face burning with shame, and dropped her head to her knees. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I thought you meant -"

"I gathered," he said, his voice confused and sympathetic. "Phae," he breathed, putting his hand on her back once more, and enjoying that, this time, she didn't pull away. "I'm traveling with you. You're it, you're the whole world, alright?"

She nodded, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, smiling when she reflexively dropped her head onto his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head, and squeezed her a little tighter. "I think we should get out of here, before my wifey-senses get someone killed," she chuckled.

"For the good of the public," he agreed. "Do you mind if I collect our things?"

She sat straight up. "No, we should go together."

He grinned at her modesty, and they set about gathering their clothes and packing to leave. Fiyero paid Mrs. Drek while Elphaba did a last sweep of their room, and, before breakfast, the two were ready to go.

Mrs. Drek handed them a small bundle. "Some food," she explained. "You never know whether you'll get a decent meal."

_She likes us_, Fiyero thought. _She really likes us as a couple. _He'd worried idly about what people's reactions might be to him taking a wife who was... green. It was one thing for a woman to marry a handsome prince; there would be jealousy. But if people thought there was some defect with her, they'd be even more spiteful. He didn't want that. "Thank you so much for having us," he said, extending a hand to shake Mrs. Drek's.

"Take care of yourselves," the woman said.

"We'll try," Fiyero said. "Though I'm awfully brainless from time to time. Phae's got her work cut out for her, babysitting." He studied her. "Poor wife," he lamented, his grin full of mischief and fun.

"Alright, ever-foolish Ralf," Elphaba said, feeling more and more uncomfortable with their lie with each passing moment. "We need to make good time. Thank you," she said, addressing Mrs. Drek. "Thank you for having us."

Mrs. Drek smiled at the pair, and they were on their way once more.


	6. Plot

"Most women just accept their arranged marriages," Fiyero said that night as he sat across from her near yet another fire. "I realize that you are not like most women," he added, "and, in fact, I'm glad of it. But I was just wondering how you gathered the courage to actually _run_."

"I was so afraid of being miserable, of being stuck with him..."

"Because you want to marry for love," Fiyero finished.

"Not just that... But that whoever it was would be so _angry_ that he had been stuck with me, and take it out on me."

Fiyero gaped at her, dumbfounded that she would admit something like that. He searched for vulnerability in her face - it would be there if any other woman had said those words. But Elphaba looked unphased by her admission. "Well, perhaps at first, until you softened up a bit," he joked. "You're rather intimidating, you know."

"I suppose so," she yawned.

"So you were afraid that this guy, this awful prince guy... You thought he wouldn't want you."

"I was sure he wouldn't. Nobody ever has. And that's alright by me," she added, sounding defiant. "Who wants to be some little housewife, anyway?"

"Technically, you'd be a house_princess_, then, eventually, a house_queen_," Fiyero pointed out. Elphaba laughed faintly, her face relaxing into a pretty smile, which made Fiyero's heart skip a beat.

"So you don't even want to get married?"

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Elphaba didn't want to admit to this handsome man that she didn't want marriage in her future, but wouldn't allow herself to dwell on _why._ "If the right person came along," she said. "I would want to share my life with someone, if he wanted to share his life with me. Which would never happen."

"Why not?"

"Because nobody wants me."

Fiyero sighed. "Why do you think nobody wants you?"

"Besides my peaches and cream complexion?" Elphaba shifted with discomfort. _Because I'm outspoken, independent, ugly, I have an awful temper, I have few housekeeping skills and no desire to learn any more..._

"Your skin is beautiful," Fiyero told her. "So if that's your only concern..."

"My skin isn't beautiful," she argued, gazing away from him.

"Yes it is," he fought, stubbornly.

"Are you really so arrogant as to believe that your opinion constitutes fact?"

"Not generally," Fiyero shrugged. "But in this case, I am definitely correct, and you'll never convince me otherwise. Your skin is beautiful. _You_ are beautiful. It's just the way it is."

Elphaba had no response to that as her heart thumped painfully around, crashing against her sternum. _His words aren't true. I'm hideous. I've always been hideous, I'll always BE hideous._ In the darkest depths of her psyche, where she kept all her secrets, she admitted that she longed to be longed for. She staggered to her feet, and, lacking any real plan or comprehension of what she could achieve in doing what she was about to do, fled.

She disappeared into the dark, tripping over the uneven ground, wishing she'd never met Fiyero, wishing she'd run away in the opposite direction. Wishing she'd just accepted her arranged marriage and never known she could desire someone the way she _knew_ she desired him. Wishing she didn't desire him. Wishing and wishing, like she'd never wished before.

She'd never really wished at all. She'd thought fleetingly of things she wished were different, but never bothered to cry out some silent prayer to some unseen presence, hoping it would listen and grant her her small requests.

"Elphaba, wait!" His voice was nearer than she would have hoped - he was fast, but how could he track her in the dark? "Please, you'll get too far out and I'll never find you!"

"I'll be alright," she gasped.

Her voice was all he needed to know he was close enough to grab her, which he did, catching her firmly around the waist and dragging her to a stop, though she struggled against him with all her might. "Stop, please, just stop," he pleaded, wrapping his arms around her arms, holding her still. He walked around her, never letting go of her, and pulled her to his chest, one hand on the back of her head, forcing her to rest her face against his neck.

"Please let me go," she whispered.

"No," he asserted. "You can't disappear into the night. You can't just leave. You can't _leave me._"

Elphaba said nothing, but stopped fighting him, and simply leaned against him in defeat, which encouraged Fiyero to loosen his grip on her a little. He rubbed her back awhile, then took her hand. "Come on," he suggested, tugging her in the direction of their fire. "It's freezing out here."

He was surprised that she complied, but she did, and he led her back to their makeshift camp, wrapping the jacket he'd been sitting on around her shoulders. "Please don't run off on me, I'd miss you." Elphaba nodded slowly, still not looking at him. "I would, Phae," he said, as if she had argued with him.

"Nobody's around," she commented. "You don't have to call me -"

"I like calling you Phae. It's like our secret," he interrupted. "I feel closer to you when I call you Phae, because it reminds us we're in this escape together. If you don't like it, though, I'll stop."

"No," Elphaba said, staring into the fire. "No, I do like it. I like our secret identities."

"I liked being married," Fiyero sighed. "There was a bed when we were married. It was comfy."

"It was _warm_," Elphaba added.

"That was the body heat," Fiyero said, a sly grin on his face.

"Whatever it was, it was warm."

Fiyero knew he shouldn't push his luck, but found himself unable to coexist with her and _not_ speak and act as though he were attracted to her. Why should he hide it? Clearly, they were young, and attractive, and they got along well enough. "It was _nice_," he said. "Come on, it's pretty cold tonight. We can have our own blankets, but I think we should sleep closer together."

"No."

Fiyero felt his face drop, obviously tugged down by the force of his stomach crashing to the ground. _What's her problem, anyway?_ "Why not?"

"I don't know," Elphaba said, surprised at the anger in his voice. "It just seems wrong."

"Well it's not," Fiyero spat. "I'm not a creep, Elphaba. I'm not going to attack you, or something."

"No, I -"

"You act like you can't trust me. Like we've just met, but it's been days and days!" (It had only been four) "It's like every minute with you, I'm back at square one, and anything I've done to let you know I'd never hurt you doesn't exist."

She stood, angrily, and Fiyero, regretting his tirade instantly, prepared himself to leap up and chase her once more. But, instead, she gathered up her things, marched around the fire, and dropped down next to him in a pile of blankets and clothing, then glared at him stubbornly.

He loved it when she glared. Despite himself, he couldn't help grinning at her. Her hair was messy, as it usually was, her face with flushed with anger, or pride, or some mix of the two. "That's better," he said, tossing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her toward him.

They sat close together for a good long while, until Fiyero got up to add wood to the fire, and Elphaba made up their beds, pausing only when Fiyero told her that if she wasn't closer to the fire than him, he'd be very angry. He was so protective of her, it confused her to no end.

When they climbed into their beds that night, Fiyero got his original wish of being able to watch her look at the night sky. As he'd expected, she looked beautiful, entranced by the twinkling lights overhead. "I'm sorry I got cross with you," he murmured.

A wistful look flew across Elphaba's face, and then, too tired to act strong or brave, she simply turned her head to gaze at him, looking a little sad. "I'm sorry I -" she thought for a moment. "I'm sorry I am the way I am."

"Phae, don't -"

"No," she interrupted. "I really am. I'm sorry I don't easily trust you, I'm sorry I'm impulsive... I ran off, and you chased me which was... And you were right, you've done nothing to make me think you'd do anything to hurt me. You've been nothing but honest, and I know that, but... This is just the way I am. And I'm sorry, for myself as well as you."

He studied her face, ignoring the guilt he felt knowing he _hadn't_ been completely honest with her. _Maybe I should tell her. Now would be a good time, right? She's right here, she's not angry... But then she'll be angry. And probably run off again. And she looks so good right now..._ So instead of doing what he felt was right, to ease his own conscience, he did was was right for her, which was to let her sleep. "Do you really trust me?"

"I think I do, mostly," she admitted.

He smiled contentedly, and leaned to her to kiss her on the forehead, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her into a gentle hug. "That makes me happy," he said, as he settled back down. "By the way, if you feel the need to cozy on up to me, I won't complain."

She chuckled. "You had to add that, didn't you. You are such a man."

"I am simply making you aware of my intent to keep you warm, and lying close together will do that," he articulated, feigning superiority and innocence.

Elphaba sighed, but inched closer to him, so that she was right up against his body, though still under her own blanket. Fiyero grinned and pulled her up close against him, then, after casting a triumphant glance skyward, closed his eyes and attempted to sleep.

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to zarri-of-the-vinkus, who has favorited FIVE of my six fics, which makes me incredibly happy! (Sorry if someone else has done the same and I didn't notice. Point it out to me and I'll give you a shout-out, too)**

**P.S. How many male fiction writers are on this board?**


	7. Protagonist

"We'll make it to the Emerald City today," Elphaba murmured before even opening her eyes. "We're so close."

Fiyero smiled and hugged her tight around the waist, wanting to look at her but also content to stay nestled in a sleepy state with this love of his. _Love?_ He thought the word, and it felt strange. _I haven't known her long enough to love her, have I?_

"Fiyero?"

He opened his eyes and found her watching him. "Did you hear me? The Emerald City?"

A small smile twitched over Fiyero's face. "I'm excited," he said. "But also... what do we do, when we're there? Like, do we... I'd like it, I mean..."

"Are you alright?"

"I used to be," he muttered. "I don't want to split up, when we get there."

"Oh. Well, we can see the sights, and -"

"No, I mean, if I'm not with you, I'll miss you, and be miserable." He paused. "Forever. I'll miss you forever."

"I would miss you, too," Elphaba admitted quietly.

Fiyero let out a shocked burst of laughter. "Say it again."

Elphaba clamped her mouth shut and shook her head. "No."

"Oh, please do," Fiyero laughed, his voice filled with mirth.

"Why?"

"It makes my heart dance with joy," he said, as if it should be obvious.

Elphaba sighed. "I would miss you, if you were gone."

Grinning, he pulled Elphaba to him and kissed her forehead loudly. "You, little lady, have just made my year." With that, he stood, and started to gather his things, though he left the blanket he'd thrown back draped over Elphaba, where it had landed.

"It doesn't take much to make your year, does it," Elphaba murmured.

"Nope," Fiyero agreed cheerfully. "Guess not. What do you want for breakfast? Bread and water? Good idea."

Elphaba laughed, and sat up to take the food he offered. "So, do we intend upon sleeping on the streets in the Emerald City? Now that we're staying together," she added.

"No, I refuse to camp out any more. But let's not fight about it now, we should save _some_ fun for later," Fiyero chuckled.

"Not more of this inn nonsense?"

"It worked well enough at Mrs. Drek's, didn't it?"

"In that tiny bed, and bathing in the same room, and -"

"Like I said, it worked well enough."

Elphaba narrowed her eyes at Fiyero, but found it hard to be cross with him on such an exciting day. "Let's get going," she said.

The Yellow Brick Road led straight to the Emerald City, and Fiyero and Elphaba were on it. From time to time, laughing lightly, he'd catch her hand in his and swing it gently. The first time she'd pulled away, apologizing, thinking it was an accident, and, somehow, her fault. But as time went on, she relaxed, and, seeing how he smiled at her when his hand grasped hers, realized that it was on purpose, and he was doing it.

Eventually, though, he wanted more, and pulled her close to him and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'm so glad I met you," he said, gazing around at the scenery out of fear that she'd reveal the opposite sentiment on her face.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," he said. "I think you're fantastic. I've never met anyone like you. Or, at least, I don't think I have. Sometimes I wonder how much you're keeping secret," he chuckled.

"Not as much as you'd think," she admitted. "We've talked about a lot of things. It's a little unnerving." They walked in silence for a few minutes. "I'm glad I met you, too."

He stopped, thrilled. "You're saying all sorts of wonderful things today!"

"Don't remind me," she grumbled, smirking. "What am I going to do with you?"

He stepped to her and, either blinded by optimism or simply brave beyond his wildest dreams, pressed his lips to hers. She let him for a moment, then pulled away, confused and afraid.

"Phae," Fiyero breathed. "Let me."

"But -"

His hands slid around her waist and trailed up the sides of her body, finding themselves snugly in her hair. He kissed her, tenderly, then parted her lips with his tongue, his body on fire as she responded to his kiss. Their bodies pressed together, and her hands wrapped around his neck. It was, without a doubt, the most blissful Elphaba had ever felt, and Fiyero was quickly coming to that same conclusion.

_This is so good. She's so amazing - how did I ever kiss anyone I didn't have feelings for? How did I...? I've got a lot to be ashamed of._ Outside Fiyero's head, his body was slowing down, and Elphaba noticed. _I've been drunken and I've slept around and I've blown off school and been lazy. And I've been dishonest._

He pulled away, though by that point, Elphaba had noticed that he was a little distracted, and wasn't surprised. "What is it?"

"I have something to tell you," he said, scuffing his shoe on the road.

"Alright," Elphaba replied, waiting.

"Well, the thing is, to tell you this thing, I have to tell you some other things."

"Then do," she shrugged.

"Well, it's kind of big," he stalled. "They're all a little big... But... Yes." Elphaba raised an eyebrow at him in response and tapped her toe on the ground, impatient. "Alright," Fiyero continued. "Firstly, I have money. I know you know I have money, but I have... a lot of money. So enough of this nonsense about wanting me to take yours." Elphaba shrugged, unwilling to go through that battle again. "Secondly, you're beautiful. You have to understand and believe that, because I'm tired of arguing about it." Elphaba narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't fight him, which was the most satisfying answer he guessed he'd get from her.

"Is that all?"

"No," he answered.

"Alright," she said, fidgeting.

Here, Fiyero started to lose his nerve. "Uhh... Okay," he fumbled. He took a deep breath, then decided that there was no time like the present. He decided to decide that because if he didn't tell her now, he'd never get up the nerve. "You see, alright." He exhaled. "I'm a prince, from the Vinkus. The Arjikis. I'm... I'm _your_ prince, the one you're promised to."

"That's preposterous," Elphaba snorted. "What would be the odds of that? And how could you keep that from me? _Someone_ would have recognized you by now."

"People have, luckily you've always been elsewhere, or distracted. Only one person ever said anything, a bunch of people just stared."

"Well, this is quite a surprise," Elphaba said, trying to figure out if she was overjoyed at how this had all turned out or if she was _furious_ with him for lying. Deciding she'd base her feelings on his next statement (or, possibly, the one after that, if he continued to fumble and speak mostly nonsense), she gazed at him, waiting.

"That's not the thing I have to tell you, though," Fiyero explained. "I had to tell you all that so that when I told you the next thing, there was nothing but honesty between us. So that you know you can trust me, so you know you can believe me." He took a deep breath. "Elphaba, I'm in love with you."

"You're what?"

"I'm in love with you. Stupidly, endlessly."

"You - I... But, but... Why?"

"Every reason, any reason." Fiyero stepped to her and placed a hand on each side of her face, looking into her eyes. He knew in that moment that he'd never been brave before, that no task had ever been this frightening. But, he also knew that no task had ever had the potential to be so rewarding. "I know you love me," he said. "I know you do."

Elphaba closed her eyes helplessly, wanting to say the words, but feeling their foreignness clog her throat.

"One more thing," Fiyero added, half smiling, only one side of his face goofily optimistic, while the other twitched in fear.

"What's that?"

"Will you marry me?"

"Well, it turns out I have to," Elphaba stammered.

"No, _choose_ to marry me. Marry me because you want to," Fiyero said. "I want you to want to marry me. And if you say no, I'll get you out of it. I'll find a way to free you. But I hope I don't have to. I love you enough to let you go, if it's what you want. But I hope you want to be my wife."

Elphaba's mouth attempted to form various words, but none would come to fruition.

"In a little while, when we know each other better, will you marry me? Will you be a student, _and_ a mother, _and_ a writer, _and_ a doctor, _and_ a professor, _and _a 'housewife'?"

Elphaba smiled. "House_princess_," she corrected. "Houseprincess."

Fiyero raised his eyebrows at her hopefully, and Elphaba nodded, now unable to say anything because his mouth was covering hers.

**PS Dedicated to Meltalviel and fermataoso, who have now favorited all of my fics haha. Hope you liked the turn of eventssssss ;)**

**PPS Dedicating might get a little crazy, and I don't want to feel like I'm begging to be added, so those were the last ones unless special circumstances come up**


	8. Synecdoche

"Wait, were you looking for me, when you met me?"

Fiyero wondered how she'd had the capacity to think while they'd been kissing - he _certainly_ had no blood rushing to his head. He took a moment to clear his thoughts. "No, isn't it strange. I was... well, I was running, too. We met completely by accident. Or, fate," he corrected.

"Do you believe in fate?"

"I believe we were meant to meet - what were the odds of us bumping into each other in the Glikkus?" Elphaba shrugged. "But we did, anyway. And could fall in love without feeling like we had to."

"But when did you figure out who I was?"

"As soon as you said you were running from 'some stupid prince from the stupid Vinkus'," he chuckled. "I'm the only prince of age who isn't married," he added, to clarify.

"Oh, I really did call you stupid, didn't I," Elphaba said, pressing the heels of her hands to her forehead. "And, the Vinkus... I didn't mean -"

"Phae, you were upset. Besides, you put me in my place for using the term 'Winkie', so I knew you weren't small-minded."

Elphaba thought back. "You _did_ say Winkie...!"

"And you told me not to," he smiled at her. "I wanted to see if you were prejudiced against my people," he shrugged. "I'm so glad I ran away from our arranged marriage."

"Me, too," she smiled. "Though it all seems a little too good to be true. You know I don't have to go back, right? You can be anyone in the world, I'll stay with you."

"Well, I'm Prince Fiyero Tiggular, of the Vinkus, and you'd better stay with me."

"Fiyero, did you...?" Elphaba plastered her face with indifference. "Did you know I was green? When you found out about me?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "I knew nothing but your name, which, though pretty, wasn't exactly enough to convince me I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Do you suppose my father told your parents?"

"That you're green?"

"Yes," Elphaba said. "I'd hate for them to feel cheated."

"They haven't been cheated," Fiyero promised, taking her hands in his. "So they won't feel that way. They're good people, they'll be thrilled that I'm happy with my marriage."

"So then why not let you choose your own wife?"

"Probably because I wouldn't have ever done it," Fiyero chuckled. "Until now," he added.

"And, even though you knew who I was from the start, you promise you're not saying all this out of obligation?"

To answer her question, Fiyero kissed her tenderly, then, pulling her close, deepened the kiss. Elphaba felt a warm surge of electrcity shoot through her body, and responded eagerly to the way his mouth interacted with hers. "You really love me?" she gasped, when they were forced to pull apart for air.

"I do," he assured her. "And, I know you hate to share, so I won't ask you for the words, now. ...Eventually, I'd like to hear you say them. But I know you love me, too, and that's enough."

Elphaba smiled and dipped her head to rest her face against his shoulder, happy that he seemed to know her so well, and, beyond that, accepted her as she was. It had happened so fast... "This is happening so fast," she said.

"I know," he exhaled. "I feel like I've known you forever, and it's only been -"

"Five days."

"That's fast."

"It's too fast," Elphaba said, suddenly starting to panic.

"No, it's not. People fall in love all the time," Fiyero said, feeling her tense in his arms. "Phae, dont." She rolled her shoulders around, trying not to feel tense. "It's not like we've only spent an hour together every day. We've been together _all _day_ every_ day!"

"That's true."

But her brain was only half-listening to his words. He couldn't actually love her, could he? Nobody could. He'd been... perfect. That was the word. He'd been perfect to her the entire time she'd known him. He was sweet, and caring, and he took care of her, but didn't smother her or act as if she was weak, and he was beautiful. He was so beautiful it hurt to look at him, and to know that she wanted his words to be true, that she wanted him to love her, and that she really did love him.

Her brain couldn't help her, here. There was nothing logical about falling for someone, no book to learn from or hide behind. It was all inside her, coursing through her, awakening things she'd never felt in touch with before. It whistled through her ears and flooded her with fire, and she couldn't _think_ it away.

"...And, besides, we're not talking about getting married _tomorrow_," Fiyero said, sensing she was deep in thought and disliking the blind terror he saw in her eyes. "We've got time to get to know each other. I just wanted to let you know that I intend to marry you, of my own accord... I wanted to tell you how I felt, because it was impossible to keep lying to you."

"I should be furious about that," she murmured.

"Why?"

"Because it was a lie," she said. "Because you lied to me."

"So that I could get to know you, because I thought I might want to, and I was right." She looked at him, and reached up and grazed his cheek with her hand. His eyes closed briefly, and he smiled. "I couldn't stay away from you," he admitted. "From the first moment we met, I asked myself why I wanted to go with you if I'd been running from you, but I couldn't leavbe you. I needed to be around you. And I wanted you to like me before I told you... So that it would be harder for you to be angry about it. So that you might want to spend time with me..." He kissed her, again. "Let's keep going. Unless you want to turn back, so I can ask your father for your hand."

"You don't need to ask him, he doesn't care. Besides, he's already given permission."

"I will ask for permission, though," he said. "But not now, if you don't want."

"I don't want to go back there."

"Not yet, then," Fiyero nodded, as they resumed their trek down the Yellow Brick Road. She rolled her eyes, thinking to herself how stubborn he was. They continued on in peace, and Elphaba was doing quite well with the whole thing, until Fiyero caught her hand and pulled it to his mouth, kissing the back of it casually, as if he kissed her hand every day. As if _anyone_ ever kissed her.

It was the sniffling that got his attention. He glanced at her, and her head was turned away from him. Confused, he leaned forward and tried to peer into her face. "Phae?"

"Mm?"

"Are you alright?"

"Mm-hmm."

"No you're not," he said, tugging her to a stop and taking her face in his hands, though she tossed her head back wildly and tried to turn away from him. "Phae, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, let's keep -" but she was caught. She was caught _crying_, which she never, ever let herself do. But she couldn't help it! The shock of actually hearing Fiyero's words was wearing off, and she'd never felt a roller coaster of emotions like this one. Denial, shock, panic, elation, fear, confusion...

"Why are you crying?"

His eyes held such sympathy, and he looked so concerned. It only made her sob harder. "Please, don't look at me like this..."

He pulled her tight to him, affording her the dignity of burying her face in his shoulder to cry. "Shh," he soothed. "Just tell me what's wrong..."

Between choked sobs, she managed to gasp out, "I can't believe you love me."

"Don't put yourself down, everybody cries," Fiyero soothed, not understanding that _being loved_ was what was making her cry. "I love you no matter what, just -"

"No, Yero," she said, not realizing she had just uttered a nickname for him. "That's why I'm... so emotional."

"Ohh," he said, smiling in adoration. He kissed her face, and pulled away so he could wipe the tears from her face. "You're just realizing I love you?"

"I'm still having trouble believing it, but the shock is wearing off... So it's sinking in, and..." She gulped. "I'm just happy. And scared."

"Don't be scared," he soothed, kissing her cheeks. "But definitely be happy." He hugged her tightly, protectively, then released her. "Let's go to the Emerald City. I've heard it's grand."

"And it's green," she breathed.

"I love that colour."

She smiled at the grin on his face. "You're too good to me, Prince."

"Ah, Princess," he said, resuming his walk with his arm still around her shoulders, pulling her with him. "I'm just getting started."


	9. Portmanteau

As soon as they were handed the green-tinted glasses, Elphaba and Fiyero knew that they were in for a strange stay in the Emerald City. As she slid them on, Elphaba held her breath. Opening her eyes, and seeing that _everyone _was green, she sighed, overjoyed, and turned to look at Fiyero. "You look good green," she complimented, grinning.

"So do you," he said.

"You should put the glasses on before you say that," she suggested. "Then I'll feel normal."

"You couldn't be normal if you tried," he said, pulling her into his arms. "You're far to extraordinary to be _normal_."

"Stop complimenting me," she tried, squirming.

"Elph -"

"Fiyero!"

They paused, and looked at each other. "Elphiyero," Fiyero tried, grinning.

"Fiyeraba," Elphaba countered.

"Let's not fight. It's pointless."

Hey eyes flashed. "Why is that?"

"Because we both know you'll end up winning, anyway." He paused. "Except, I'll never stop complimenting you."

"It makes me uncomfortable."

Just then, a couple passed, and smiled at the pair. Fiyero smiled back easily, and Elphaba, though guarded, let herself smile faintly as well. Fiyero put his glasses on and gazed around. "Well, this will brighten your day," he said. "You looked no more green than anyone else."

"Really?" She looked down at her hand, then held it up and compared it to the green his skin appeared to be. "Oh, Oz," she grinned. "I'm not a freak!"

"Hey, that's my fianceé you're talking about," Fiyero complained.

Elphaba was thrilled. For once in her life, nobody was staring, nobody was pointing, and, best of all, when Fiyero took her hand, she didn't feel like people were wondering _why_ he'd be doing it. She suspected that her features weren't altogether unpleasant, she might even be pretty enough for Fiyero, maybe, with all skin tones being equal.

"We should stay here forever," she said.

"As long as I'm with you, we can be anywhere," Fiyero complied. "Any particular reason?"

"Because I fit in. Because nobody will look at us and think I've put you under some sort of spell, or that you have some mental delay, we can just be together, and nobody will judge you for it."

Fiyero shrugged. "I don't care if people judge me. They've been judging me all my life, it might as well be for something I've willed for myself, as opposed to being a prince. Something I can be proud of..." He smiled at her. "What do you want to do first?"

Elphaba tried to pick something. "Bathe," she finally decided.

"Hotel it is."

Elphaba still had trouble with the idea of him spending money on her. And, how would they handle the room arrangements? "Umm..."

"Phae," his tone was cautionary. "Don't worry about it. And... Uh, you can have your own room, if you want." He waited for her to reply, but she didn't. "Do you think it's best?"

"I'm not sure," Elphaba picked at her fingernail. "I mean, I like, um... I don't mind sleeping in the same bed as you."

"Well, as long as you _don't mind_," Fiyero said, sounding less-than-enthused about her less-than-enthused admission. "Listen, I would love for us to be in the same room, and I promise you can trust me. I don't assume that anything's going to happen just because we plan to be married. So, if you're alright with it, I think it would be nice."

Elphaba nodded. "I think so, too." Why was she suddenly so shy? She'd never been shy before. She had low self-esteem, but she was still bold in her opinions, and made a point of appearing confident, even if she wasn't. But Fiyero made her blush, made her falter. She hoped it was temporary, that she'd feel more normal after they'd known each other awhile.

"Good," he grinned, and kissed her, making her knees weak.

_Or maybe Fiyero just does this to me._

The hotel they found was nice, but not too nice. Fiyero knew that Elphaba wasn't comfortable with opulence, and, truth be told, as long as he was comfortable, he was happy. Elphaba immediately disappeared into the bathroom and ran the water, leaving Fiyero to pace back and forth in the room before deciding to order them some food. When the water stopped and he heard the splash of her dropping into the water, he knocked lightly on the door.

"It's occupied," she called, as if he didn't know.

"I'm going to get us some food," he said, grinning. "What would you like?"

"What is there?"

"Everything."

"What are you getting?"

He paused. "Everything."

He heard her laugh through the door. "Is there some sort of menu?"

It was decided that waffles with strawberries and whipped cream sounded fantastic, and Fiyero heartily agreed, though he also wanted some protein. "By the time you get out it should be here," he said, after he'd placed an order.

"Mm," was the reply he got.

"Phae?" He leaned against the door, grazing it with his pointer finger, as if she could feel his touch through the wood and across the room. "I'm glad you're here."

"So am I," she sighed, totally relaxed in her bath. "Do you want to shower before the food gets here?"

"I don't have to. Take your time," he said, still leaning against the door.

Elphaba pondered for a moment, then, feeling crazy, stood up and pulled a robe around herself. She emptied the tub and opened the door, causing Fiyero to almost fall into the bathroom. "Hi," she said, grinning at him shyly.

"Hey," he breathed, loving how she looked all glistening with moisture. "You done?"

She paused. "Yes."

"Alright," he said, wondering why she looked so strange. "I think I have time to shower, then. Are you sure? That was awfully fast."

"I'm done my _bath_," she said, reaching up to the collar of her robe. "I didn't say I was done..."

Fiyero watched in awe as she slid her hand down her body, between the two lapels of the bathrobe, through the loose knot she'd tied in the belt around her waist. The robe slipped open a little, and it took all her will to stand there with it gaping even slightly. "Phae?"

"I don't want... Not yet," she said, flushing. "But I think it might be nice to... If you want..."

Fiyero pulled his shirt off readily, then tugged off his shoes and tossed them aside. "I think that would be wonderful," he said, trying not to stare at her as he reached to undo his pants. He slid them off, but paused at his undershorts. Stepping to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Are you sure you're ready for this? It's a big step, sharing-wise."

Elphaba didn't admit to him that she was getting her hideousness out of the way. That, while she trusted him, she was mostly sure that not even an amazing guy like Fiyero could look past an entire body of green. Somehow, she was sure he'd convinced himself that she was a more normal colour elsewhere, and, if he was going to be disappointed by what he found when she undressed, it might as well be now, before it was too late. Not that it wasn't already a little late, just... Before they were married, and he was stuck with her. She steeled herself to be rejected, for his look of disgust. "I'm ready," she said.

He slid his hands inside her robe, over her shoulders, and pushed it off of her. His gaze never left her eyes, and she found it impossible to look away from him, though she was burning with shame at her appearance. When the robe dropped to the floor, Fiyero stepped back to look at her, and she waited for the disgust.

But it never came.

The look on his face was one of wonder, of adoration, of pure lust. He perused her form, loving how exotic the green of her flesh was, and how long her limbs were, and... Had he ever taken the time to really look at a naked female form before? Not just leered at her before or during, in a drunken stupor, not fully realizing the magnificence of a woman? No, he hadn't. He felt like a fool, like a man who'd been asleep for almost two decades, and was now just waking up.

"You're exquisite," he sighed, in wonder. He reached to slide his shorts off, but she stopped him, hooking her pointer finger in the waistband.

"Are you sure?"

"Phae, of course I am. You're... I can't think too much about it... I respect you, and want to keep it that way." The mischievous grin on his face was familiar, and comforting. She slid his shorts off for him, a move which caused him to groan slightly and drop his head back.

She didn't feel bold enough to look at him. When he finally dropped his head back to watch her, she was looking at the spot where his neck met his shoulder. "You're so..." He was muscular, the perfect speciman of masculinity, but there was nothing brutish about him. He had a refined elegance, in the build of his muscles and the shape of his brow. He was a god among mortals, and she barely felt human. Her face dropped, and she stared at the floor.

"Aren't you going to look at me?"

Her head snapped back up, and she saw, in his eyes, that he was at least a little nervous, as well. She let herself look him up and down, though she was embarassed that this was her first time seeing a naked man, and she couldn't be his first naked woman. It suddenly occurred to her that she didn't know much about his past. He'd been unable to share a lot about himself, when he'd been keeping his true identity from her.

None of that mattered as he turned the faucets and stuck his hand under the water, though. She'd lost all resistance, somewhere along the way, and forgiven herself for forgiving him, allowed herself to love and trust him, and want him. He held out a hand to her, and she walked toward him. He held her hand as she stepped into the tub, then joined her, holding her close and kissing her cheek as the spray tinkled over them. "How do you feel?"

"Better than reading," she replied.

"That's an interesting way to put it."

"I love books," she said, wondrously. "Though I think I might not need them like I used to... Just enjoy them."

"What do you mean?"

"Books took me away, before" she said, her voice a little sad and a little dreamy. "I still love them, but I don't need them. I have nothing to escape. It's a little scary, but it's wonderful."

"So no grammar quizzes?" He was eager to explore her.

"Or literary devices," she said, enjoying the way his hand traced the outside of her upper arm and his other hand massaged the back of her neck. "Just heart."

"And love," he whispered, kissing her.

**AN: Bonus points to the reviewer(s) who can say say why each chapter is titled for each literary device. There are examples in each chapter. Also, this scene is NOT over. It's in the next chapter. You know how to get it, if you want it... hehe ;)**


	10. What Is This Feeling?

Fiyero's hands. They were strong, and the ends of his digits were blunt in that way that men's fingers are once they've become men. But when his fingertips gently slid along her skin, there was nothing rough about his touch. How could someone so strong and solid be so tender?

The steam in the air from the boiling water that pounded into them made everything dewey, made Fiyero's open mouth on her neck feel twice as hot, somehow. One hand was on the small of her back, the other, between her shoulder blades, sliding up to grasp at her hair. How was this even real? What had she ever done to deserve the sensation of being pressed up against this man, being massaged and stroked by him?

Elphaba wasn't sure, and didn't think she'd ever really know, but that was alright by her. "Yero," she moaned, as he held her tighter, as she felt a strange tightness low in her body, as his tongue found a particularly sensitive spot on her neck.

"Mm?" He continued to kiss her, waiting for her words, and, when there were none, worried that she'd wanted him to stop. He pulled away and looked into her eyes, searching for any hesitation. "Is this okay?"

She smiled, looking a little drunk on arousal, which made it harder for him to stay calm. "Yes," she replied. "Of course."

"I'm just not sure where the line is," he admitted. "I mean, I know the very definite line, obviously. But..." he gazed down at her body, and she closed her eyes, as if that would close his, too, and keep her from being naked in front of him. "Phae," he said, to get her attention. "Look at me."

She met his gaze and saw love like she'd never expected, love that still surprised her, and, she guessed, would for a long time. "Yes, Yero?"

"You're beautiful."

"So are you," she sighed, overwhelmed by the truth of it. Fiyero's heart soared to hear her say that he was _as well_, instead of, 'No, I'm not, but you are.' She kissed him, deeply, and he groaned. "You're so beautiful it aches."

"How can it, when you've barely looked at me?" His words were gentle, not accusatory, not angry. In truth, he wanted her perusal, and her approval. He'd been gawked at many times in his life. Useless girls had fluttered useless eyelashes at him, and, from what he remembered, nobody had ever had any complaints about his body. But _hers_ was the opinion that mattered. Moreover, she should _want_ to look at him, and feel comfortable doing it. It was strange to him that she would show herself to him, despite the insecurity he knew plagued her, but wouldn't look at him.

"I feel as though I'm invading your privacy," she admitted, flushing. "I know it's silly."

He kissed her jaw, below her ear, and she sighed. "My body isn't private to me," he reminded her. "Not only because I don't have the sense or decency to be particularly modest," he chuckled. "But because I'm yours, so my body is yours. My heart is yours. My life is yours." She pulled away to look at him, startled. Marriage was supposed to mean those things, but it rarely did.

And then he understood. She was willing to show herself to him, because, even if he didn't like what he saw, it was alright that she feel ashamed and embarrassed. But to look at him, she considered it a privilege, and one she wasn't worthy of. It broke his heart.

"Please look at me," he murmured. "All of me." He pulled away from her slowly, gently, and stepped back, waiting. Her eyes dropped to the floor, and she looked at his feet. It was a start.

His legs were muscular, and hairy, but not overly. He had calf muscles, which was, she'd noted throughout the years, fairly uncommon in men. Why was it that most men had chicken legs? She'd never understood it. Fiyero did _not_ have chicken legs. She dropped her gaze again, then lifted her head, not focusing on anything, and, starting at his face, looked over his body from the shoulders down. Wide, muscular shoulders. Defined, strong arms. A broad chest. A tapered waist, with a bit of hair leading down... The muscles above his hips were defined.

Blushing, she remembered hearing older girls referring to "sex muscles" when she was younger, and being unable to comprehend what that would mean. Now that she was older, and understood the effort that went into lovemaking (though not the sentiment, as the brief talk she and her classmates had gotten from the school nurse hadn't been anything more than a clinical how-to), she knew the significance of those lines.

She took a deep breath, and looked down a little more.

As a child, various games of "show me yours, I'll show you mine" had been played. She'd been particularly tormented - "Are you that colour all over, Froggie?" But fully-grown men were a mystery to her, and so, Fiyero's nudity was shocking. But... She smiled in spite of herself, though only a little.

She let her gaze sweep over his entire form, then looked into his eyes. He was waiting, patient but apprehensive. "Would you like a review?"

He grinned at the teasing in her voice. "How about a rating out of ten?"

"Eleven," she answered, immediately, placing her hands on his chest as she stepped back up flush against him. He smiled joyously and kissed her. "Mm, twelve," she amended. His hands wrapped around her waist and massaged her back. "Thirteen..."

"Careful," he warned. "I could go for a million."

"I dare you," she breathed.

But he wouldn't. Instead, he lathered up his hands with shampoo, and massaged it into her scalp, kissing her forehead, cheeks, nose, lips... Turning her by the shoulders, he worked it down her long mane, pausing briefly to run his hands through his hair, lathering quickly, before piling her hair into a frothy bundle on top of her head and beginning to rub her neck and shoulders. She moaned in the back of her throat, and he loved it. After awhile, he took her in his arms, and dipped her under the stream of water, smoothing her hair from her face with one hand while he held her around the waist with his other arm.

"Did you just wash my hair?"

He shrugged. "Thought you might like it."

"I loved it." Was this a routine of his, something he did with every girl? She felt like she could trust him, really trust him, but he'd managed to spend five whole days with her, knowing that they were supposed to be in an arranged marriage, and hadn't told her. Of course, he _had_ eventually told her, and, really, five days wasn't very long. She liked to tell herself that it was, because she'd fallen for him in that time. But if he couldn't keep a huge secret to himself for a week, it was a good sign. Wasn't it? "I think I loved it too much," she said, sounding a little disappointed. "Enough to stay in here forever, and the food will be here soon."

Fiyero had almost forgotten that it was _Elphaba_ he was dealing with, and that she was able to put on the brakes faster than any woman in all of Oz. _At least I wasn't groping her when she said that_, he thought. "Good idea," he nodded, kissing her again. "I'll be out in a minute."

She stepped past him and out of the bathroom, wearing her robe once more, and he added some cold to his shower.

They ate their meals in peace, though Fiyero paused every once in awhile to lean to her and kiss her, or suck a little bit of whipped cream off her lip. Elphaba smiled at the sensation of his lips on hers; there was something so reassuring about what they'd done in the shower, though, compared to most people, she knew they hadn't done much. But he'd looked at her, and hadn't turned away. In fact, he'd looked at her like... like she was actually pretty. And he'd kissed and touched her, like he wanted to.

Oh, how he'd wanted to. As Fiyero studied the range of facial expressions sliding over Elphaba's face, he recalled those of bliss and arousal that he'd seen there as they'd stood so close together, naked and slick with moisture from the steam of the shower. It was the sexiest thing that had ever happened to him, including any sex he'd had in the past. And, then, as he knew she'd revealed herself to him, he knew he should reciprocate. But his truths weren't going to be the same. They were going to, quite possibly, change the way she saw him. He'd sworn he was through lying to her, but how much of the truth did she want to hear?

_Hey Phae_, he mock-practiced in his head._ I just thought you might want to know that I've been a drunken manslut for the past three years. I lost it to an older girl who worked in the town when I snuck into a bar one night and she thought I was 18 like her because I LIED to her. Apparently I do that a lot. Over the next three years, I had sex with a bunch of different girls, all over Oz, never once really caring about them the way I should have and not comprehending the significance of sex. I didn't even know some of their names, and barely remember any of them. I could have a dozen illegitimate children for all I know. I've really fucked things up, and I don't deserve you, and you've just given me this wonderful gift and I'm afraid you'll never believe how much it means to me because clearly I never showed a regard or respect for that kind of intimacy before._

"Yero?" He was pulled out of his thoughts by his name on her lips, and looked phased. "What are you thinking about?"

He would never admit to her how few times in his life someone had asked him what he was _thinking_ about. He'd never thought about anything, so nobody'd ever caught him thinking. "You," he answered. It was the truth, sort of.

"You looked serious."

"I'm serious about you," he smiled, to which she snorted in a small reminder not to get too dramatic or cheesy.

"Alright. What do you want to do today?"

"Oh, don't ask me," he said, putting his hands up as if surrendering. "My only suggestions will be things that can be done in this room. I'm of no help."

She raised an eyebrow at him, smirking. "I assume you don't realize you have to _earn_ these room activities?" He just stared at her, surprised. "Perhaps you should put effort into our entire relationship," she suggested, chuckling.

It was a dare, a tease, a game, he realized. But she had to smile fully before he accepted that he wasn't in trouble. "I'm more than satisfied by my pre-breakfast breakfast," he said, glancing toward the bathroom. Elphaba blushed, but tried to pretend she was unfazed by the memory of what had happened in there. "So I'm not asking for anything, really. I'm just saying that when I think of you, I think about holding you, talking to you, looking at you. I don't need anything but you and a space to do those things in." He shrugged. "So, there."

She laughed, an actual laugh, though it didn't last long. "Well-played, prettyboy."

"I am _not_ a prettyboy. I am a rugged outdoorsman," he declared, loudly and roughly an octave below his regular speaking voice.

Elphaba cackled, clearly unable to control herself. "I'm sure you are. Does your 'rugged outdoorsman' maid come with you on your trips into the wilderness to cut the crusts off your sandwich?"

He picked her up, and she shrieked, (though later she wouldn't admit to it) and he threw her down on the bed, tickling her and rubbing his chin on her face. "Feel that? That's outdoorsman stubble!" he cried. "And these are the tickles I use to subdue bears, and tigers! And lions!"

"Lions, and tigers, and bears... Oh my!" Elphaba was howling now. "Alright, uncle, uncle!" He released her a little, but he wouldn't let her sit up until she kissed him nicely on the lips.

"I _do_ do things outside, you know," he said, standing and helping her up as well.

"Garden parties? Picnics?"

He threw her down again, and, each time he found a new spot to tickle, listed something he did. "I hunt," tickling. "Build fires," tickling. "Chop wood for those fires," tickling. "Camp," tickling. "All sorts of things."

"Seriously?" She was serious now, and it stopped him.

"Yes," he said. "It's tribal tradition, to learn all those things."

"You haven't told me much about your tribe."

He groaned. "Not now," he pleaded, taking this calm moment between them to play with her hair and kiss her forehead. He realized now that he was flush on top of her, and grinned. "Who wants to learn about history and ritual when we're in positions such as these?"

"Well, I would," Elphaba huffed. "There are other things in this world besides _sex_, Fiyero Tiggular."

"Clearly," he said. "We're both fully clothed, and doing just fine. Come on," he said, standing once more and pulling her with him. "Let's go explore the Emerald City."

"Fiyero," she said, pausing.

"Yes?"

"I'm happy."

It was such a simple admission, usually. But from Elphaba, who was steadfastly honest and even more emotionally-secretive, it was as if she had handed him her heart and simply said, "Hold this."

He kissed her, tenderly, and replied, "Me, too."


	11. One Short Day

Feeling refreshed from their shower and their meals, the pair set out to explore the Emerald City. Feeling liberated by both what she and Fiyero had shared with each other and the green glasses that everyone in the city wore, Elphaba let herself relax for the first time, finding it easier to hold Fiyero's hand. To lean into him as they walked. To let him kiss her.

Smiling at other couples they passed, the two explored a small section of the city. Fiyero was overjoyed to watch Elphaba drink in the culture of libraries, museums, art galleries and legislative buildings. "Look at the architecture," she sighed dreamily. He chuckled to himself, wondering how he'd managed to fall for someone so brainy, and then, dishearteningly, wondered how someone so smart could love _him_. He tried not to let it plague him as he watched her joy.

They found their way into a beautiful building, a public law record, and made their way through, seeing busts of famous barristers, old maps of territories, and proclamations behind glass. On the top floor was a large balcony, and they went out there. It was nearing the end of the day, and the sky was hazy with pinks and oranges. "Hello, beautiful," he murmured, watching her.

She smiled briefly. "It's such a nice view."

"So are you."

She chuckled. "Don't be too kind to me, Yero. It makes me nervous.

"Why?"

"Because I feel like it can't last, it feels foreign, and its newness feels brief."

"It's not," he promised, wrapping his arm around her waist as they stared out over the city. "It's not."

"I'll try to believe you," she vowed. "I really will."

He kissed her temple, and she smiled. If he'd made a big show of pulling her close and kissing her passionately, it would have felt forced. But his casual nature, his genuine promise, felt real because they didn't seem over-the-top. He knew how to convince her, she realized. He knew what it took to really get through to her. How, so soon, had he developed this skill?

"We should head back," she said after awhile. "It's getting late, and I'm a little hungry."

"Shall I take you for dinner somewhere?"

"Do you think the people of the Emerald City wear the glasses in restaurants at night?"

Fiyero paused. "Why should that matter?"

Elphaba examined something he couldn't see on the bannister in front of her. "Knowing you, it'll be somewhere nice... I'd hate to have a fuss made in a nice place."

"Let them fuss," he murmured. "I fuss over you," he reminded her with a smile.

"That's different," she whispered, her mind flashing through the dozens of times he'd held a door, put a hand on the small of her back when they were in crowd, helped her carry something...

"Well we'll peer in a window on the way to the hotel to get changed, and -"

"Oh, damn," she interrupted. "I don't have anything to wear, anyway."

"Can I take you shopping tomorrow?"

Elphaba chuckled. "You want to go _shopping_?"

"I want to buy you things. It's manly, I swear." He grinned at her, boyishly. "And then I'll take you for dinner."

"Perhaps," she allowed. "Let's head back."

They passed a restaurant on the way back. Everybody was wearing the green glasses. Elphaba smiled, and Fiyero tried to find the same amount of joy.

But it was hard for him, to smile about Elphaba suddenly being the same as everyone else. That wasn't why he loved her. That wasn't why at all...

**AN: Alright, so I know that I should write because I want to write, but I went on an updating FRENZY a couple weeks ago, with a oneshot, two-shot, new chapter on Whirl... and then a Fiyessa. And... uh... the response was... minimal. So I felt a little uninspired. Apologies that it took so long to get this up, and that it's so super short. But I have more written after this, I'm just trying to bridge the gap to get there! Also, desirae, get an account so I can reply to your review!! Just do it. lol**


	12. Wonderful

Two weeks in the Emerald City can do wonders for a relationship... Or, it can make men like Fiyero increasingly frusterated. In the case of Elphaba and her fiancé, it was the latter. As each day passed, and Elphaba seemed more and more comfortable with blending in, Fiyero found himself increasingly ill at ease.

"When are we going to go to your father to get his permission to marry?"

It was a bad time to ask, but it would always be a bad time. Elphaba raised an eyebrow at him. "I've told you, I don't want to go back there."

"But, your father -"

"Arranged a marriage for us. So he doesn't need to say it's alright, it would be redundant."

Fiyero sighed. "Phae, I want to ask your father for your hand. It's important to me, so can't you please just do it? For me?"

She scowled. "No fair, playing to my weakness to make you happy."

"It's my only weapon," he pointed out. "You have my entire heart and existence."

She smiled broadly at that - the last couple weeks had been heaven. She'd become completely infatuated with the Emerald City, because it was full of knowledge, and because she wasn't gawked at. When they'd gone to a fancy dinner, everyone had smiled at the handsome young couple, and men had complimented Fiyero on his beautiful wife. She'd blushed at that, feeling pleased that Fiyero was counted as lucky among the men. She didn't ever want to leave.

"I just... I'm enjoying this city so much," she said, walking to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "I feel like I never want to leave."

"Really?" He squirmed, right out of her grasp, which was a first. "I'm not that in love with it."

She felt her heart sinking. "Really? Why not?"

"I don't know..." He did know, but he wasn't sure how to say it. He'd been patient with her, ever-patient, allowing her the joy at fitting in for, he assumed, the first time in her life. But he didn't like to watch her be like everyone else, and worried what else would change if they stayed too long. Elphaba was strong-willed, but that didn't mean she was invulnerable. If they stayed too long, and she got used to 'belonging', what else might she change to maintain that feeling?

"Yero."

He gazed at her. "I don't like watching you blend in."

"_What?!_ You're not happy for me, that I've finally -"

"No, no," he interrupted. "It's not that I'm not happy for you. I'm... I'm so happy for you that you're enjoying yourself, that you're happy. But I worry that you'd stay here just to hide behind the green glasses, and blend in, and you're... you're better than that."

"So what if I want to stay here and fit in? Do you have any idea what my life has been like, being tormented _constantly_? Of course not, look at you!"

He didn't want to fight her, so he refused to respond to that. "You are beautiful and wonderful, and I have no doubt you've been through... Oz, Phae, it hurts me to think how cruel people have been, including your own father. But I just..." he sighed, feeling lost. "I guess we could stay, if it would make you happy. I mean, I still need to ask your father, and I'd miss the Vinkus... But if it will make you happy..."

She looked at him, so downcast, and couldn't imagine being the reason his face was like that more than once. "I don't..." she sighed. She knew that staying in the Emerald City would be copping out, that it was simply easier than fighting. But hadn't she decided that, with Fiyero by her side, she could fight anything? And, beyond that, could she take him away from his homeland just so that she could pretend she wasn't green?

No, that wouldn't do. Her insecurities about her green skin would always plague her, because she knew it was real. She would always go home with Fiyero and feel nervous about her skin, even though he'd proven he didn't have a problem with it. And would she get so used to fitting in that the green skin would become a shock to her system? Every night, before she fell asleep, would she curse some unseen presence for letting her lie to herself all day, making the reality all that harsher when the glasses were off?

"What will make me happy is to see _you_ happy," she said, to which he grinned with relief. "And I don't want to hide, I don't want to be a coward."

"You've got too much heart for that," he pointed out.

"Perhaps not enough brains," she murmured.

"I've really disliked watching you be like everyone else," he admitted, moving to hold her once more. "You're far too unique, far too awe-inspiring, too... You are the sun," he decided. "You are the sun, and the moon, and the universe. You're your own world; I would have hated to lose you into the frivolity of this one."

She kissed him deeply, then. "You called me the universe," she whispered.

"That I did." He paused. "I was just hoping to tell you you're perfect the way you are, it kind of slipped out. Don't manipulate me with this information," he requested, teasing. He waited a moment, long enough to kiss her again. "So, we'll go to your father soon? Tomorrow, or the next day, perhaps?"

She groaned. "It's really a waste of time, Yero."

"Perhaps it will go better than you think," he tried.

"How are you so optimistic?"

"I'm only nineteen, I haven't had time to become jaded, yet," he pointed out.

"Interesting choice of word," Elphaba murmured.

"Pardon?"

"_Jaded_. As in, jade. Which is green. Like me."

Fiyero chuckled. "It wasn't on purpose."

"You're calling me cynical, aren't you?"

"No, I wasn't referring to you, I was just saying what I'm _not_, and - Please, let's not fight. I don't want your father to ruin our day."

"Well then we shouldn't go," Elphaba said, smugly.

"Oh, we're going," Fiyero said, determined.

"Why is it so important to you?"

"Because _you're_ important to me," he said. "And I want it to be clear to everyone involved that we're getting married because we're in love, and not because our parents told us to. So, in accordance with tradition and respect, I need to ask for your hand."

Elphaba just stared at him, completely shocked to discover that she could actually fall _more_ in love with him. "You are perfect."

"Are you making fun of me?"

Elphaba threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately, which elicited a laugh of joy from Fiyero, who returned her affection. "Alright, let's go meet with Frex."

Elphaba felt strange, returning home with this handsome and wonderful man on her arm. It felt strange to be returning home by choice, period. But, with Fiyero by her side, she felt ready to face her father and, for once, not let his low opinion of her effect how she felt about herself.

It felt strange to knock.

When Frex came to the door, he briefly considered simply turning away and resuming his day, leaving the door open in case they chose to enter. But the young man who accompanied his daughter immediately held out a hand, and Frex felt obligated to return the handshake.

"Hello Mr Thropp, I'm Fiyero Tiggular."

"_Prince_ Fiyero Tiggular," Elphaba corrected, though she stared at her feet.

"Of course, your highness, please come in," Frex forced out. This was the young man Elphaba was promised to, but how did they come to know each other?

"Please, sir, there's no need for the formality of titles," Fiyero said, entering the dwelling and tugging Elphaba in after him. She reached behind her and closed the door without even thinking about it, and winced as the sound of the door trapping her inside cracked the silence.

"Sir, I don't want to take up much of your time, so I'll cut right to the chase," Fiyero said, feeling unnerved by the man's lack of emotional response to the return of his daughter. "I would like to ask you for your daughter's hand in marriage."

"I've already agreed to that," Frex said, turning to leave.

Fiyero placed his hand on Frex's arm. He wanted the man to like him, but he found himself too angry to bother with propriety at this point. "Sir, I don't think you understand," he said, enunciating. "I don't view this as an arranged marriage. I _want_ to marry her. So anything you may have agreed upon with my parents is no longer relevant. I love her, I want to share my life with her, and I would appreciate your blessing in doing so."

Frex studied this handsome, if not arrogant, young man, and then looked at Elphaba. She didn't look angry, which was a first. She looked confident, but not defiant or condescending. She looked... _happy_.

"Sir?" Fiyero was expectant, hopeful.

"I told you, Fiyero, he doesn't even view me as anything he's parting with. Why would he give you permission to marry something he barely claims as his own?"

"Some_one,_" Fiyero corrected softly. "You're some_one_, not some_thing._"

"I gladly give you permission," Frex interrupted. "Thank you for showing me the respect of asking."

Elphaba couldn't keep the shock of her face, despite her vow to remain as emotionless as possible. Fiyero grinned unabashedly, extending his hand to shake Frex's once more. "Thank you, sir. You are, of course, invited to the wedding, along with your other daughter, Miss Nessarose."

"Ah, well..." Frex thought about it for a moment. "We'll have to see."

"Whatever suits you," Fiyero grinned. "I must apologize, we don't have long to be here, we're expected elsewhere by sundown. It was nice to meet you."

"The same to you," Frex said.

"I'll, perhaps, introduce myself to Miss Nessa," Fiyero excused himself, pausing to kiss Elphaba on the side of her head. "Where is she?"

"Down the hall to the right, in the study. You can't miss it," Frex said, pointing.

Fiyero nodded, and set off the find his future sister in law.

Elphaba was left to face Frex alone, in an uncomfortable silence. Her father spoke first. "He seems like a very nice young man," Frex commented.

"He's even nicer when you're not treating me like - ...He's very protective of me," Elphaba replied.

Frex sighed. "I assumed as much. It is clear that he loves you."

Elphaba had nothing to say to that, so she nodded shortly at her father, the corners of her mouth jerking upward briefly, and followed Fiyero out of the room.

It was hard, in that moment, for Frex to find fault in her, and so he simply smiled to himself, a little confused, but, nonetheless, happy for his daughter.

Elphaba found Fiyero in pleasant conversation with her sister, and smiled at the sight of it. Nessa, who had been a little upset at her sister for leaving, was glad to see her nonetheless. "Elphaba!"

Elphaba rushed to her sister and enfolded her in a hug. "I've missed you," she said, earnestly. "I'm sorry I left so suddenly, but -"

"I've just been filled in," Nessarose interrupted, glancing at Fiyero. "Father wouldn't tell me _anything_. I was quite upset at him." She paused. "Though, I suppose, you two have no complaints now."

Elphaba smiled, and Fiyero nodded. "You will try to come to our wedding, won't you?"

"I'll try. And, I'll try to persuade father to come, if you want him to," Nessa said.

"If he wants to be there, then he is welcome. If he's going to try to ruin it for me, I'd rather you didn't bother."

Fiyero was pained to hear the coldness in Elphaba's voice, and reached out to rest a hand reassuringly on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Miss Nessarose," he said, after a moment. "But we should really be going."

Elphaba nodded. Despite her happiness at seeing her sister again, she still felt very uneasy in this house, and wanted to leave it. "I will write to you when I have a permanent address," she said, realizing for the first time that she and Fiyero would have to set up house somewhere. "And you will have plenty of time to prepare for the wedding," she promised.

With a final hug, Elphaba and her sister parted ways, and Elphaba and her future husband slipped out of the house.

"Where are we headed?" Elphaba asked as they got back into their carriage.

"Anywhere you want," Fiyero grinned. "I knew you didn't want to stay long, despite your longing to see your sister. She'll have to come out and visit us soon," he pondered.

Elphaba snuggled up against him in the carriage. "So where do we go?"

"We can keep driving, the driver will work through the night," Fiyero suggested. "Or we can get a room somewhere."

"We can 'get a room'?" Though they'd been staying in a hotel in the Emerald City, there was a crassness to Fiyero's choice of phrasing that Elphaba found undignified, and Elphaba's tone of voice let him know.

"Alright, _we can find somewhere to lodge_," he amended, grinning.

Elphaba settled back against him, and, content, let her mind wander for the carriage ride until she fell asleep.

When she woke, she was in a bed, cozy and warm, wrapped in strong arms. She ran her hands over her body briefly, and realized she was wearing her underclothes, slip, and camisole. She smiled to herself at Fiyero's respect for her privacy, and wriggled closer to him. He'd seen her naked before, but that had been her choice. She loved that he didn't assume anything, that he didn't take liberties. His smile was faint in his sleep, but his arms tightened around her in a brief hug. "Phae," he murmured.

"Goodnight, Yero," she whispered.

"Mm..."

Silently, she mouthed the words 'I love you', and fell back asleep.

**AN: Longer, just for you! Please review!**


	13. Something Bad

Elphaba Thropp was terrified. "What if they hate me?"

Fiyero stopped for the eleventh time between the carriage and his parents' front door. "They _won't_ hate you. They'll love you, as I do."

"Nobody but you has ever loved me, except maybe Nessa," she said. "I think you're unique."

"Or perhaps it's genetic," he guessed. "Maybe everyone from the Vinkus will love you, maybe it's a... regional thing."

She raised an appraising eyebrow at him. "You're going to make me go in there, aren't you," she murmured.

"We can't get married if you don't," he reminded her.

"Damn."

He smiled, took her hand, and led her to the front door, glad that he'd written ahead of time to explain to his parents where he was, who he was with, that he adored her and they were taking things slow, and that she was green. His letter had been crystal clear: "I am your only heir, and you will lose me if you do not accept her."

Reading the letter, they'd been thrilled to be told off by their son in defense of a woman he loved, smirking to each other at his first real show of decency in quite some time. And so they'd prepared for this young woman, and her verdigrism, so that, when Fiyero and Elphaba were shown to the sitting room where they were taking their tea, neither were surprised beyond the moment of actually seeing a person with green skin.

"Fiyero," his mother cried, overjoyed, when they entered. She rushed to her son, enfolding him in a firm embrace, before turning to Elphaba, eyes shining. "And you must be Elphaba. Welcome," she smiled, pulling Elphaba into her arms as well.

The King was a little more reserved in his joy, but strode over the greet the pair as well, clearly happy to have his son home. He kissed Elphaba's hand before shaking Fiyero's. "You must be tired from your journey. Hungry? In need of a walk to stretch your legs?"

Elphaba remained frozen in a joyful sort of shock, completely taken aback at how welcoming and wonderful Fiyero's parents seemed. Fiyero noticed that she seemed to have lost to ability to form sentences, and answered for them. "I'm hungry, _and_ tired, _and _in need of a leg stretch. Perhaps a walk to the kitchen to fix a snack, then a walk to a bedroom to lie down and eat?" Elphaba had recovered enough by that time to roll her eyes, but she nodded agreeably.

"That sounds lovely. Thank you for..." Elphaba could think of a few ways to finish that sentence, but couldn't figure out which was best. "It's love to meet you," she said. "You have a splendid home."

Fiyero's mother smiled. "Thank you, and you are most welcome here."

Fiyero showed her to the kitchen and fixed them both sandwiches while Elphaba munched on an apple. His parents had thought it wise to afford them some alone time, and so it was just the two of them. Elphaba smiled, gazing around. "Look at us, in a kitchen, fixing food," she said, half to herself.

"It's like we're already married," Fiyero grinned, though he didn't look at her. When he was done their sandwiches, he turned to look at her and caught her looking as sexy as ever, lazily chewing a piece of apple and not looking at him. "It's probably best that we're not married, or I'd have to forgo food and rest and -" he stopped himself.

"What?"

"Never mind," he said, not wanting to anger her so soon into her stay.

"Fiyero..."

"I'm sorry, you just looked so beautiful," he sighed. "I turned around, took one look at you, and wanted you. But I'll behave, I promise."

She smiled at him, though her face was not without disdain. "Let's go find that place to rest," she suggested.

They did rest, after Fiyero polished off his own sandwich and most of Elphaba's. She offered it, having already eaten an apple and knowing that she couldn't eat when she was tired, anyway. Fiyero was still a little peckish after his food, but settled his arms around Elphaba and contented himself snacking on her neck, instead. "Yero..."

"Yes?"

"I'm trying to sleep. I shouldn't even be in here, anyway. It's not proper."

"I think we surpassed proper in the Emerald City," he chuckled. Elphaba sat up so fast, her collarbone connected with Fiyero's face. "Ow!"

"Are you making fun of me? Or simply calling me a slut?"

His eyes widened. "Elphaba, I would never..." She glared at him, her jaw set, determined to show him how much trouble he was in, but her eyes betrayed her. He shook his head, reaching for her, but she scurried out of the way. "You are perfection," he murmured. "You could never be anything less than perfection. I brought it up as a happy memory, not to upset you. I'm sorry, I'm an idiot."

"I've never done that with anyone," she said. "You know that."

"Elphaba, how could I ever think of you as a - as promiscuous? I know you're not, I know... I'm the one who..." Fiyero couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence, he felt so ashamed. It always nagged him, but, faced with Elphaba's fears that he was thinking horrible things about her, he couldn't help but think of everything he disliked about himself.

She softened, noting his burning face and the ache in his eyes. "I shouldn't have reacted that way," she said, relenting. "If you only meant to... Well, as you said, bring it up as a happy memory, then I'm sorry."

Fiyero shuffled closer to her and pulled her into his arms. "I shouldn't have joked about it." He paused, tucking his face right next to hers. "I should make it clear how seriously I take us. I promise to be better."

Rather than respond, she kissed him, and sank down onto the bed to lie in his arms, which is how they fell asleep.

Elphaba was determined to make a good impression, and part of that included being extremely well-behaved in the bedroom. Over the next month, Fiyero found himself on the receiving end of a great many glares and pushes away. She had been given her own room, which she insisted on sleeping in, and spent a great deal of time with Fiyero's mother, learning what her duties would be, and in the library, reading.

"I thought you said something about not needing books," Fiyero said from the doorway one day.

"I'll always need books," she smiled, not looking up. "Just not as much as I did before."

"Because you have me?"

She let her finger mark the page, and closed the book, furrowing her brow at him. "Exactly... What's on your mind?"

"We never spend time together anymore," he complained.

"Yero, we see each other every day."

"It's not the same," he said, crossing the room to sit at her feet. She was sitting on the window seat with her legs propped up so her knees were her desk, and looked in need of a foot rub. He took her feet in his hands and massaged them. "We don't spend any time alone."

"You mean, we don't spend any time in bed."

"I mean, we don't spend any time alone! We don't go for walks, we don't sit together and read, we don't talk about our future... We haven't set a date for the wedding, I don't feel like we're progressing toward it -"

Elphaba's look of utter shock silenced him, but the look of hurt and panic on his face continued to speak until she found some words. "I didn't realize... I'm new at this, Yero. I've never been in a relationship, and I've never seen one modeled for me. I'm trying to learn how it is here, to fit in, and I'm trying to be... I don't want us sneaking off together, I don't want people to talk. I don't want to be the green whore from Munchkinland. I'm just... I just thought we were alright."

"Well we're not," Fiyero said. Normally, he would have apologized, and, to be fair, he did see her point. But he missed her, missed holding her hand, missed watching her talk, missed hearing her laugh. How had they lived in the same house for weeks and barely interacted? "I miss you. You're my fiancée, I want to be with you."

Elphaba sighed and set her book down, shuffling closer to him. "Then let's spend time together. Show me how to be your wife. I'm a quick study," she promised.

"Do I get to kiss you, in this tutorial?"

Elphaba grinned at him. "I'm simply the student," she shrugged. "It's up to you what the lesson is."

Fiyero kissed her, then, deeply. "Lesson One," he said, when they broke apart. "I love you endlessly, and can't bear to share you all the time. I need alone time with you." He kissed her again. "Lesson Two: the best way to make up for failing Lesson One is to kiss me."

Elphaba, always a model student, was eager to achieve top marks in this, and kissed him until they simply couldn't kiss anymore.


	14. Something Bad Part Two

It would have been nice if things had gotten much better very fast, but they didn't. They got a little better gradually, with Elphaba and Fiyero spending more time together, but it was never enough for Fiyero. He had to chuckle, thinking to himself that he would probably never have enough of her. But he knew that he could have more of her than he currently did.

Specifically, she wouldn't let him touch her. At all.

It wasn't that he wanted to push, or that he wouldn't appreciate even minor signs that she was at all attracted to him. But he couldn't even hold her hand anymore. Over the past month, she'd become more and more physically detached, despite the increasing time they were spending together. He worried that something was very wrong, that something bad was happening, and that he was powerless to stop it, to help her. He finally had to ask her about it one day when they found themselves alone in the sitting room. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am."

"You seem a little...frazzled," Fiyero said. "Or... I feel like when I get near you, you pull away, and I was wondering if I did anything wrong. You barely spend time in the same room as me anymore."

"Well, there is a lot to do to prepare, and..."

"Alright, well, just for this moment, let's pretend that there isn't," Fiyero said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead. He couldn't ignore that she tensed in his arms, even as he kissed her cheek. "It's not the planning, it's me," he exclaimed. "I can feel you, you know. You're rigid! Tell me what's going on?"

"It's nothing," Elphaba said, avoiding making eye contact with him.

"Tell me why you don't want me to touch you," Fiyero said.

"I never said that -"

"You don't have to. I'm not an idiot, Elphaba. You must think I'm really stupid, to think I wouldn't notice your constant distance from me."

"Not _really_ stupid," Elphaba muttered, sarcasm licking the edges of her words.

Fiyero's face dropped, horrified that his future wife would say something like that, and that she wouldn't talk to him about what was wrong. "I can't help you if you're not honest with me," he said, sadly, then, with another kiss on her forehead, turned to leave the room.

Her heart snagged at the sight of him so dejected, but she couldn't bring herself to call him back.

Later that night, after everyone had gone to sleep, Elphaba crept to Fiyero's bedroom. She'd been tossing and turning for hours, and couldn't take it anymore. How could she let him remain this miserable? The idea that she'd choose his happiness over her pride unsettled her, but, she supposed, that was what marrying someone was about.

Climbing into bed with him, she tucked her face in hear his and kissed him to wake him up. "Yero," she whispered.

He started, then relaxed when he saw her, though he looked worried. "Phae?"

"It's not you."

"What?"

"You're not the problem. It's... It's being married to you -" Elphaba started, but Fiyero's raised eyebrows and pained expression stopped her. "Not that I don't want to be married to you, I'm just... I'm nervous about... When we're married, not that I don't want to, just..."

Fiyero sighed. "Phae," he murmured. "Are you talking about sleeping together?"

"No," she snapped. "Only, yes," she admitted a beat later.

"We've slept together before," Fiyero reminded her. "It went alright, didn't it?"

Elphaba 'tsk'ed. "That was different. When we're married -"

"Everything will be exactly the same," Fiyero promised. "Marriage doesn't mean sex, not until you're ready. And when you _are_ ready, I'll be there," he said, an impish grin on his face. "But until then..."

"But our wedding night -"

Fiyero laughed softly. "We went over this, there's no tradition here, no checking of the sheets, no immediate need for grandchildren... All that has faded away as women have become more active, because it's just not accurate anymore. And nobody will ask. So they'll never know."

"I'm sorry," Elphaba whispered.

"I'm just sad that you've been pulling away out of fear. Phae, I would never pressure you..."

"I know that, and I know how hard it must be for you to wait. Because you've... I mean, you... I won't be your first time."

Fiyero felt his stomach sinking. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that," he said, shifting. "I want you to know everything about me, I don't want to have any secrets. But I'm not proud of myself, I regret my past behaviour." He took a deep breath. "I've been... The day I met you, I'd been out drinking the night before, as you know. I'd picked up a girl in a bar, and gone back to her house... I left in the middle of the night. That behaviour was pretty typical of me, I'm afraid."

"I see."

"I wish more than anything that I could take it all back," he continued. "Being with you has taught me what it'd like to want someone for more than just her body, as beautiful as it may be. I'm attracted to everything about you, and I want you to know that. I'm afraid that you think that it won't be special for me, because I've done it before, because I never took it seriously before. I hope you believe me when I say that, if that's the case, you couldn't be more wrong. I'm just as nervous about being with you as I've ever been about anything, because I understand what sex is about now."

"What, then?"

"It's about expressing your undying love for another person. It's about loyalty, and passion, and giving everything of yourself over to someone else." He pulled her tight against him. "It's about everything getting married is about. Do you still want to get married?"

Elphaba wondered for the millionth time how she'd managed to be so lucky as to be the woman vowed to spend the rest of her life with Fiyero, and nodded. "Of course I do." He sighed with relief. "I love you, Fiyero," Elphaba murmured.

He almost gasped in shock, his heart beating about wildly. He'd told himself that she did, that he was content telling himself she did, and that the fact that she never argued when he said he knew she loved him was enough. But hearing her say that she loved him, especially because it wasn't a response to him saying it to her, felt so much better than he ever could have imagined. "Oh, Elphaba," he whispered against her neck. "Oh, I love you, too. I love you, I love you... Thank you for saying that."

"I don't want to be afraid anymore," she confessed. She was so tired of being afraid; it wasn't in her nature. She loathed that she'd managed to be so brave in the Emerald City, but that as time had gone on, she'd faltered. She felt guilty, knowing that she was pulling away from intimacy with Fiyero, who'd never offered her anything but love and support. Fiyero, who loved her without reservation, and who continued to tell her and show her, even though she never said it back.

"You don't have to be."

"May I sleep here tonight? I didn't realize how much I missed falling asleep in your arms until I started to drift off," she shrugged. She knew she'd spent too many years being closed off, was frightened of what it meant that she could adjust to being without Fiyero so quickly, even though he had rapidly become her entire world. His arms around her seemed to bring her back, however, which was encouraging.

"Of course," Fiyero grinned. "I've missed your body next to me in my sleep. Oh, how I've missed you..."

Their lips found each other, despite both their eyes being closed, and then they fell asleep, well aware of how much they yearned for more, but happy in that moment just to be pressed against each other.


	15. Dancing Through Life

"In respect for and adherence to Vinkan law, I hereby take Fiyero Tiggular to my husband, and, with gratitude and appreciation for the duty of the position, accept the Imperial invitation to rule in stead of His and Her Majesties, and, as may be the case, my husband, Prince Fiyero Tiggular."

As Fiyero heard the words, he couldn't help but grin at how unromantic they were. They were perfect for Elphaba, really: she could profess duty in front of a crowd. If she'd been asked to profess her undying love for him, she'd have muttered and glared the whole way through. Still, he was impatient for later, when he could whisper to her about her beauty and her heart, when he could promise her forever, and let himself get caught up in the magic of being her husband.

During the marathon of the large reception, Elphaba watched her husband. He was, without a doubt, the most handsome man in the room. There were beautiful women there, too, but he only had eyes for her. When they were eating, his hand rested on her leg. They shared little glances throughout the night, during speeches, during toasts.

At the first dance, he held his hand out to her. She'd expressed her nervousness about dancing together in front of so many people, but he'd promised her he would lead her, enticed her with talk of how thrilling it would be to move so close together, placing sensual kisses on her neck. Now that the moment was upon them, Elphaba felt the strength of his arms around her and fell gracefully into step with him, surprised at how easily it came. "You're a fantastic dancer," she breathed, surprised.

"I love to dance," he grinned. "I've spent a lot of years just sort of... dancing through." He paused. "Never with such a captivating partner, though."

As the night wore on, it was harder and harder to resist the urge to simply sneak off somewhere and caress each other, but the pair did. Person by person, people began to drift off to their assigned rooms for the night. Elphaba's small smile of satisfaction at Nessa and Frex as they bid the couple goodnight lingered after her small family was out of sight, and Fiyero was overjoyed to see her contentedness with her family.

She was escorted out to their own separate space half an hour or so later, to prepare for bed. Watching her be led away by a group of women, he couldn't help but think how much she reminded him of a wary child being dragged on some errand. The women twittered about excitedly, not knowing that this night would probably not be the event they expected it to be. Fiyero had maintained, up until their last moment alone, that he didn't expect anything from her. He'd made his point quickly, then babbled with excitement about being able to hold her in his arms and know that they were sworn to each other for the rest of their lives.

He joined the men in a celebratory toast - one that officially recognized that he was about to "become a man", though nobody expected that to be true. Keeping with tradition, the men patted him on the back, wished him luck, and laughed heartily about how he was "leaving a boy, returning a man". He'd narrowed an eye at them and, grinning, asked them not to wait up for his return.

When he arrived at the small cottage, he took a moment before entering to remind himself that, despite his excitement, his head needed to stay level, no matter how ravishing the women had made her look. He knew it was their job to set the stage with candles, to do her hair, to light oils with romantic smells (whatever _those _were... He had no idea) and basically leave his wife waiting to be taken by him.

It was hard to restrain himself when she was grumbling, when they were cranky, when they knew that his parents were up and about, so this would be no piece of cake.

But with a determination he knew only she could inspire, he entered the small dwelling and strode purposefully to the bedroom.

She was sitting in bed, naked.

"Hello, husband," Elphaba smiled.

"Hello, wife." Fiyero walked around to her side of the bed, and sat down near her.

"Remember what you said, about how we can wait, and it doesn't matter, and there's no pressure?"

Fiyero nodded. "It's still true."

"Take it back."

"Pardon?"

"I don't want to wait. It _does_ matter. Pressure me," she urged.

"I refuse to pressure you."

"Fine," Elphaba said, determined. "You leave me no choice." She threw back the covers and climbed out of bed, then stood in front of him, completely naked. She was scared, because her nudity reflected her intent, but she knew that she would always be nervous about their first time together. That was never going to go away, and she was tired of pretending that it might. She _wanted _him. She yearned for him, desired him with an intensity she'd never thought possible.

Climbing onto his lap, she kissed him passionately and began removing his shirt. Fiyero's hands jumped, wanting to explore her body, but being restrained (barely) by his good intentions. "Phae," he breathed, pleadingly. "Please, I can't..."

"You can't be with me?"

"No," he exhaled. "I can't not touch you."

"Good." Her hands worked down to his pants to undo them, and he gasped. Her body felt hot against his, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He fell back, trying to clear his head, half his brain saying she was only doing this to please him, because she felt obligated, the other half saying his beautiful wife wanted him, and it would hardly be appropriate to deny her. She slid off him and pulled his pants off, and he took that time to sit up again, suddenly feeling very exposed.

She was standing in the glow of the fire, her hands trailing her body as if she wanted to cover herself but wouldn't give in to that impulse. "Are you sure?" He watched her face for any sign of doubt, any hesitation.

"I'm beginning to think you don't want me," she said, with just enough teasing in her voice to let him know it was a dare. He stood and picked her up in his arms, kissing her, then placed her down on the bed, gently climbing on top of her and continuing to kiss her, his elbows braced under her arms, his hands in her hair. "Oh, so you do," she chuckled. "That's good."

Fiyero smiled at her and felt her hands slide over his back. She sighed happily, her eyes closed and a soft smile on her face. "I have never wanted anyone the way I want you," he told her. "I love you."

Elphaba looked deep into his eyes, then leaned up to kiss him, slowly, sensually, enjoying her body's response to his proximity and the feel of his lips against hers. In his mind, for the millionth time, Fiyero vowed to be gentle, to take his time, and to show her that he was there for her, that he would stop if she needed, and that, above all, there was nothing else in the world he'd rather be doing at that moment, and began to caress her body to the state of readiness...

...Elphaba felt the tickling on her face before it roused her. Ever so softly, Fiyero was tracing the lines of her face. She lay on her side, facing him, and his middle finger and thumb swept her hairline, from her forehead, out around the outside of her ear, and down her jaw to her chin. Then, he raised his hand once more, and ran it from her eyebrow, over her cheek, and down to her mouth. Then, because he couldn't help it, he slid his fingers down her nose and thumbed her lip before repeating the process.

She stirred a little and smiled up at him, and he grimaced. "Sorry," he whispered.

"What are you doing?"

"My fingers are memorizing your face," he said, in all seriousness.

Elphaba's smile was confused. "Why?"

"Because they love you," Fiyero said, settling down close to her and pulling her to his chest. "I want to know your face, even when it's not in front of me."

Elphaba smiled against him. "I love you, my husband," she said.

He felt aroused again, to hear her say she loved him, to be called her husband, but he let himself think about math and studying and old people until he was calm once more, and then realized... "Are you alright?" She was drifting off again. "Phae?"

"Yes?"

"Are you alright? Is everything okay?"

"Of course it is," she said, wanting to sink back into slumber.

"I didn't hurt you?"

He had asked her while they were first making love if he was hurting her. She'd said no. Every time she urged him onward, to go harder, or faster, or deeper, he'd double-checked that she wasn't in pain. Elphaba had to admit that it had hurt a little, at first. And that, now, there was a pleasant sort of ache inside. Her body had been manipulated in a way that it had never been made to before, so, of course she was a little sore. But it was a nice feeling, a complete feeling. "No, you didn't hurt me," she said, knowing Fiyero would never understand that a little pain wasn't always a bad thing. If he knew she'd been the slightest bit uncomfortable, beyond the initial moment, he'd be hesitant to ever touch her again.

And _that_ would be completely unacceptable. Now that she'd had him, and moved with him, and felt the satisfaction and bliss of making love to her husband, she wanted to do it every day for the rest of her life. Well, until exam time at Shiz, when that came around.

"Good," he smiled. "I want you to be happy."

"I've never been so happy," she admitted. "I feel... perfect."

He smiled once more, joy coursing through him. "How fitting."

**AN: I saw the LA production of Wicked for the second time, this time with Caissie Levy as Elphaba... and I'm completely in love with her. People, she is beyond superb. She's perfection. Her chemistry with Kristoffer Cusick (Fiyero) was especially wonderful. And, of course, Megan Hilty as G(a)linda was divine. Again. If you're within a five hour flight of L.A., there's no excuse for not going - it will change. your. life. These three leads are just lovely - As Long As You're Mine has never been so hot. So anyway, that's where I've been. Yes, I was there just before the Oscars. Yes, I had a blast. Yes, I'm sorry it took so long to update. Yes, I'd LOVE it if you would review.**


	16. Dear Old Shiz

"This is going to be great," Fiyero said, gazing into her eyes. "I've never been kicked out of Shiz before."

Elphaba's smile was tense. "You won't get kicked out of this school, my love."

"I dunno Phae, I'm pretty talented when it comes to getting into trouble."

"That was before you had me around."

"To babysit?"

"To give you incentive to behave," she corrected.

Grinning, Fiyero tugged her close to him and kissed her neck. "Incentive like this?"

"I suppose," she admitted.

He continued his work on her neck, but she didn't relax. "Phae," he said, pulling away from her to look her in the eye. "It's going to be alright. I know you're afraid I won't let you get work done, but you're wrong."

"That's not it," Elphaba said. "It's... just overwhelming." Elphaba didn't tell him she was worried about the reactions of their classmates to her being married to this handsome prince, that she was afraid he could be scorned on her behalf. That she would get passionate and worked-up about school and embarrass Fiyero and his family.

"You are going to do so well there, my beautiful wife," he promised her. "You're built for this kind of knowledge. Now come on," he said, opening the carriage door for her. "There are books to be devoured, papers to write, and beds to break in."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but smiled. "I wish you were coming with me."

He shook his head, filled with regret. "I'll be along soon enough. This meeting came out of nowhere, but it's important for the tribes to summit." He sighed, feeling like the last few months had aged him several years.

"I'm happy that you get the chance to barter, though it makes me nervous that they agreed to meet out of the blue. You _have_ considered sabotage, right?"

"Yes, my love. I've even considered it outside of the times you've brought it up." He pulled her close. "So kiss me, and tell me 'See you later', and I'll see you soon."

Elphaba kissed him. Oh, how she kissed him.

_...Whengreyandsereourhairhathturned..._

Dear Old Shiz had made some sort of clerical error, and Elphaba, who had specifically requested _not_ to be living with Fiyero, had been put nowhere. At the last minute, she was placed in the only empty room left: Galinda Upland's formerly-private suite.

Put mildly, the girls loathed each other.

Elphaba took great pains not to mention her marriage, even when all those around her gossiped and swooned about her husband. When word reached the student body that Fiyero Tiggular, _the Fiyero Tiggular_, would be in attendance, buzz began to build, and girls started to practice their flirting techniques.

Unfortunately for them, Fiyero's wife was already matriculating among them, under her maiden name. Unfortunately for _Fiyero_, this made it appear as though he _had_ no wife.

Galinda Upland, had, in her rose-tinted lifetime, somehow come to the conclusion that she was important. It didn't occur to her that people mostly told her she was important because she was popular, and that her popularity was based on the pure dumb luck of being born beautiful. If she wanted something, she got it. And at this moment, she wanted Prince Fiyero Tiggular, Walking Scandal, who had just arrived on campus.

"Were you looking for something? ...Or, someone?"

Fiyero barely realized there was an attractive girl in front of him, so enamored with his wife as he was. "Uhhh yeah... history... class? I don't know... somewhere?"

Galinda's semi-permanent accessory, a munchkin (though he was fairly tall for his birth) named Boq, spoke up. "History building is way over there my friend..."

"That class just ended," the blonde girl chirped, though Boq's arm remained pointed in the direction he wanted the man to go, perhaps just in case it effectively willed the prince to leave.

"Oh," Fiyero nodded, feeling a little relieved that he wouldn't have to start off the day feeling completely out of the loop. "Perfect timing! So, uh, what does one do for fun around here?"

"Nothing really... until now..." Fiyero couldn't help but notice that Elphaba's flirting was much more subtle - that she'd give him a quick look, or graze her hand softly across his. This girl was practically salivating.

"We've been studying," the Munchkin chimed in.

"Well," Fiyero said, feeling trapped. "I see that once again the responsibility to corrupt my fellow students falls to me... What's the most swankified place in town? We should all go." He wished that Elphaba hadn't expressly forbidden him from making her go out with them - he wanted to take her dancing.

"That would be the Ozdust ballroom," Galinda said, holding out her hand toward him. "I'm Galinda Upland. Of the _Upper_ Uplands."

"Fi-"

"Oh I know who you are," she giggled, shaking his hand softly, her hand weak in his. "So you'll pick me up?"

"What?"

"To go to the Ozdust... You wouldn't want me to have to get there alone, would you? Something bad might happen!"

Fiyero grimaced internally. "Of course not," he said, wishing he hadn't developed a conscience in the last six months. "So, I'll be picking you around... eight?"

"Miss Galinda? I hope you'll save at least one dance for me," Boq piped in, realizing too late that he'd missed his chance to 'safely escort' his One True Love, and wanting to call dibs on her while they were still available. "I'll be right there, waiting, all night."

"Oh, how very kind, Biq," Galinda said, sounding false.

"Boq..." Boq chimed in, causing Fiyero to mentally note the boy's name, lest Galinda become clingy and therefore, need to be handed off to someone actually interested in her.

"But do you know what would be even _kinder_...?" Fiyero listened as Galinda, in turn, pawned Boq off on... Nessarose! He was about to step in when he realized that, maybe, Boq would end up liking Nessa, who was quite kind and very beautiful. Why not give Nessa a shot at happiness?

"Oh, you're good," he said to Galinda, impressed with her skill at manipulation, if not a little unnerved by it.

"I don't know what you mean..."

"So, eight then."

"Wonderful!"

_...Let'sgodowntotheOzdustBallroom..._

Fiyero had to admit that he was having a decent time. He'd met a bunch of new people, danced with a few girls, and, though he thought about Elphaba roughly once a minute, he was happy for her, knowing she was probably studying. He had yet to locate her, and vowed to do it the next day.

_Or_, he could just ask her, as she was standing at the top of the stairs, wearing a rather ridiculous hat.

"Oh, no..." Galinda moaned softly.

"Do you know who that is?"

"My roommate... Please, don't... stare!"

"How can you help it?" Fiyero murmured. Elphaba soon realized that everyone was laughing at the hat, and took it off. Then, as only Elphaba would, she put the hat back on and began to dance in the silence. "So, that's your roommate?"

"Yes... Oh, I feel awful," Galinda whispered.

"Why? It's not your fault... Anyway, excuse me." Fiyero strode across the dance floor, and smiled at Elphaba, taking her hand softly.

She shook her head slightly, reminding him that she didn't want a fuss made over their marriage - he didn't understand it, but he respected her wishes. "Hello," she said, wishing she could throw her arms around him after being apart so long.

Fiyero, also, she could tell, was barely restraining himself from wrapping himself around her. He took a deep breath, the look in his eyes pure longing, then straightened his back and smiled. "Care to dance?"

**AN: I didn't mention it last time, but I wanted to bring it up that I had intended from the start for Elphie and Yero to wait until they were married to sleep together. I WISHHHH desirae would register for an account so I could PM her, but she doesn't appear to be reading this anymore, anyway. I just have noticed a couple fics with this theme and (while it's not my opinion that everyone **_**should**_** wait until marriage, I believe in doing what feels best for you) I thought I should comment on it.**


	17. Thank Goodness

Fiyero was so happy he almost cried when he opened his door to see that it was Elphaba who had knocked.

"Phae -"

She rushed in and closed the door behind her. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," he said, confused at her hurried tone. "Why?"

As she pounced on him, feverishly unbuttoning his shirt, Fiyero thought briefly that maybe secret marriages were fun, and returned the favor of beginning to undress her. "I've missed you so much," she gasped.

"I don't want our marriage to be secret anymore," he murmured as she almost ripped his shirt off. "As sexy as this is, I've missed you too much."

"I'm making up for it," she reminded him.

"Elphaba," he stopped, holding her shoulders to still her. "We haven't seen each other in weeks. The fact that you're tearing my clothes off is, honestly, the greatest thing... ever. But I'd rather... Well I'd rather have more time with you, _and_ you want me like this, but if I have to choose..."

"I _do_ want you like this," she said, her voice clouded with lust. "All the time. Constantly. Sometimes it makes me dizzy."

Fiyero took a very deep breath. "You won't distract me, even as sexy as you are," he informed her, sternly. "I'm miserable without you. Come live with me. Please. Let's just tell people we're married."

"We maybe should. I think Galinda thinks you're her boyfriend."

"What?!"

Elphaba shrugged. "She said that you two went on a date, and after that, all boys want to be her boyfriend. She's informed me that you're very lucky." She paused. "I felt bad, not telling her the truth."

"Shit, I have to go break up with her, now," Fiyero moaned. "Elphaba. We're married. And we're telling people." Fear darted through her eyes, and he took pity on her. "Don't worry about me. I'm popular everywhere I go, it's disgusting. And if, for some reason, Shiz decides not to like me because I have you, it doesn't matter, because _I have you_. I don't need anyone else." She opened her mouth to reply, but she still looked doubtful, so he cut her off. "Please, just think about it."

Elphaba nodded. "Can I undress you now?"

"Please do," he sighed.

Rediscovering her was a dream come true for Fiyero, as was moving with her, and her lips near his ear, gasping his name. But it was holding her afterward that Fiyero truly adored. He gazed at her, resting peacefully, though he knew she wasn't asleep, with that light pink flush to her cheeks. Oz, she was beautiful. Too beautiful. He wanted her again, and again.

"Phae?"

"Yes, Yero?"

"I miss you."

"I'm right here," she murmured.

"I miss you all the time. I can never be close enough to you."

She smiled faintly. "Want to try again?"

"Do you have time?"

"For you? My husband, my love? I think I can find the time," she smiled.

"I love you."

"I love you." She paused. "We could sit together in History, tomorrow."

He grinned. "That's the sexiest thing you've said all day."

The following day, Elphaba had a class directly after History, and had to rush off to it, though the hour spent sitting next to Fiyero had been enough to thoroughly exhaust her. She was tired, also, of pretending they weren't married. She wanted to wear her wedding ring. She wanted to hold his hand.

But she also wanted to be treated how she was treated for who she was, not who she was married to, and wanted the same for Fiyero, and so she remained conflicted.

Fiyero lingered after class until everyone had gone, determined to solve his favourite mystery. "Dr. Dillamond, might I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Master Tiggular, be it brief."

"Well, you know my - You know Elphaba?"

"Yes, I am well aware of her presence in my class," Dillamond replied, wondering why Fiyero was talking about his star pupil.

"Alright, well... I'm wondering about... When she blushes, she blushes pink. Even though she's green."

"I teach History, Master Tiggular. Is this a biology question?"

"You're the only teacher who respects her," Fiyero said, finding his focus. "I don't understand it, because she's brilliant, the perfect student. But I don't want to talk about her to people who are disgusted by her. It's just awkward and unnecessary."

Dillamond pondered Fiyero's question for a moment, impressed with the amount of thought he'd put into who he was asking. "No matter her skin colour, her blood is red, is it not?" Fiyero nodded. "So, when she blushes, blood rushes to her face, and collects there. I would assume, anyway. Perhaps I am wrong about the physiology of blushing."

"Ah," Fiyero nodded, understanding. "That's so simple. I feel foolish for not thinking of it. Thank you, Dr. Dillamond."

"Not at all," Dillamond replied. Fiyero turned to go. "Master Tiggular?"

"Yes, sir?"

"What is your interest in Miss Elphaba?"

"I'm in love with her," Fiyero shrugged. At Dillamond's look of utter shock, he grinned. "Well, she's my wife, you know. Don't tell anyone." He paused. "She's so weird about that."

Leaving Dillamond in a state of dumbfoundment, Fiyero went off in search of his next conversation: breaking up with the girl he hadn't known he was dating.

He found her moving between buildings. "Galinda, do you have a class right now?"

"Oh... Well, _technically_, but -"

"Well then can you find me after class, over, uh..." he scanned the surrounding area. "Over by that tree," he finished, pointing.

Galinda giggled. "Of course, Fiyero. Do -"

"GreatthenI'llseeyoulater," he said, backing away rapidly, then turning and fleeing much faster than he was proud of.

He went and got himself some food, which always made him feel better, then made his way over to the tree to wait. Sure enough, what seemed like milliseconds after the bell, Galinda appeared. "Helloooooo Fiyero," she sang, beaming.

"Hey Galinda... How was class?"

"Boring," she announced. "What did you need to talk to me about? Is it this weekend? Because I was thinking -"

"Actually, no. Well, I guess, in a roundabout way, yes. But... no." Fiyero sighed. "Galinda, I need to talk to you about us. Or, not 'us'. Because I'm an 'us' already."

Galinda, somehow sensing (she was good with subtle clues like that) that his chosen topic was one she didn't want to discussify, broke in with, "I wanted to mention how adorable I found it that you danced with Elphaba the other night. You know, she's why I got into Morrible's sorcery seminar." She paused. "I think she and I might be able to be friends. She actually says things to me now. 'Good morning, Miss Galinda.' 'Those are both the same belt, Miss Galinda.' 'You're going to be late for class, Miss Galinda'... Things like that."

"Yes, well, that's sort of... You see, I was talking to Elphaba and she said you might have gotten the impression -"

"When were you talking to Elphaba? That's so kind. Was it in front of people? Because I think that you and I together could -"

"Galinda," Fiyero said, breaking down. "Elphaba is my wife."

"Who did what?"

Fiyero winced at the look of complete denial on Galinda's face. "I'm married to her. We've been married for six months, now."

"I really like to shop," Galinda offered, dumbstruck.

"Do you need to sit down?"

Galinda nodded, and Fiyero helped her onto the nearby bench. "She didn't want to tell anyone, she was worried that people would be unnecessarily hard on me for it, and didn't want to be the cause of me being ostracized."

"You're married to my roommate," Galinda said, each word pregnant with shock.

"Yes."

"But you're dating me," she reminded him.

"No, I'm not. We all met at the Ozdust, once. And you and I danced a bit. And we spend time together, but..." He felt awful. "I'm sorry, Galinda..."

"Didn't you notice?" Galinda had never thrown affection at someone only to be rebuked. "Didn't you notice how I felt?"

"You're very flirtatious," he explained. "I've seen you flirt with... almost everyone. Except Boq, who is the one person who hopes for it, despite your pawning him off on my sister-in-law." Galinda gasped, realizing. "I assumed you were just... someone who flirts. I'm sorry," he said, really meaning it. "And don't be mad at Elphaba."

Galinda pondered. "I talked to her about you. I'm so embarrassed."

"She doesn't hold it against you. She'll kill me for telling you the truth, I'm not supposed to tell anyone. But she felt bad... She only said that you usually end up dating people who take you out, so you assumed that you and I would be dating," he said, hoping his rewording would save her some humiliation. "And she said that I should make it clear that that wasn't going to happen, to spare your feelings, and... This is just awful."

"If you weren't married?" Galinda chewed on her bottom lip. "I mean, I know you are. I still can't believe it, but I know you are. But if you were single, do you think..."

"Once upon a time, I'd have snapped you up immediately." Fiyero didn't add that, once upon a time, he'd been shallow and empty. Galinda was a nice girl, but their relationship wouldn't have changed them the way his relationship with Elphaba had helped him to grow. Galinda needed someone to balance her, as well. And, though now Fiyero was on the path to being one of those people, he knew that, if he'd never met Elphaba, he'd still be... Well, the male version of Galinda. Though he would _never_ toss, toss his hair, even in the most masculine of hair tossing situations.

Galinda looked appeased by that statement. "Why didn't Elphaba just _tell_ me?"

"Well, like I said, she doesn't want to tell anyone."

"Why not?"

"Because she's green," he sighed. "And people hate her for it." Galinda's face filled with colour at that statement, but he continued. "She doesn't want people to hate me just because I'm married to her."

"But..." Galinda frowned, something her face never, _ever_ did. "That's so unfair." She took a deep breath, pulling herself up to her full height. "Thank you for being so wonderful, and I apologize for... Being so assumative. And don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I won't even tell Elphaba you told me. Cross my heart."

"Thanks, Galinda. I really do think you deserve to be happy, and I hope that... Well, I've learned that sometimes the things that make you happiest are the things you'd never have expected." Fiyero pulled her into a gentle hug. "Keep your eyes open, you know?"

Galinda smiled up at him, nodding. "You're much more..._kind_ than I would have thought, based on all the gossip magazines," she told him.

"I wasn't always," he said.

Nodding, they parted ways, the smaller of the two in the deepest thought she'd ever been in. She felt a little betrayed at Elphaba's silence, but, she reasoned, Elphaba had acted quickly to tell Fiyero that he was sort of leading her on. And it wasn't fair that Elphaba and Fiyero couldn't be together just because Elphaba was green. What was so bad about green, anyway?

Nothing, Galinda realized, shame burning all over her body. She wished there was some way that she could paint her skin green, like a fashion statement, and hold her head high and walk through the crowds, daring _anyone_ to try to make fun of her. She was Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, after all. She wielded a power over people that was unmatched. Why couldn't she use her influence to make good? It was then that she thought of the next best thing.

The following day, Galinda Upland came to class in a bright, rich, emerald green dress, head held high, and sat at the very front of the lecture hall.

**AN: I thought I might take this moment to draw attention to Kaylle's "There Are Nights" and all of fermataoso's work. I've noticed that, in general, there aren't a lot of reviews going on with the aforementioned story and author's stories. I don't know if people are reading and just not reviewing, but I'm assuming people just don't know how wonderful they are. THEY. ARE. WONDERFUL. In general, there is a lot of fantastic fiction on here, and I've noticed that a lot of people review a lot of the awesome stories, but "There Are Nights" doesn't have a lot of reviews, and I don't think fermataoso's stories have nearly enough reviews for how absolutely addictive, well-written and altogether phenomenal they are. So I thought I'd mention them, in case you didn't know they were out there.**


	18. Popular

"Galinda, that dress is _divine_!"

"Why, thank you ShenShen, I simply adore Emerald Green. It's so haute, right, what with the Emerald City's high fashion boutiques. Green is _all the rage_." Galinda thought she might be laying it on a little thick, but, hey, _thick_ was the operative word when it came to her "fan club".

"Are you going to the café?"

"Well..." Galinda looked around. Class had just ended, and Galinda wanted to catch Elphaba before she ducked out. "It depends on what Elphaba's doing. I think she and I were going to walk back to our dorm together."

"Ditch her," Pfannee suggested.

"Pfannee, you're so _gauche_," Galinda mused. "OzStyle has a subscription service, you know. Perhaps you could browse it sometime, and then you'd realize exactly how chic Miss Elphaba really is." Galinda paused, raising a perfectly-shaped eyebrow, and added challengingly, "Or do you intend to be last_ season_ your entire life?"

Pfannee shook her head with a mix of fear and shame. "Of course, Miss Galinda. Green is... very good," she tried.

"Miss Elphaba, shall we walk back to our dorm together?"

Elphaba paused on her journey out of the room, appraising Galinda warily. "I was considering heading to the library to study," she said carefully.

"Well, if that's your plan," Galinda shrugged. "I could meet you there later, I only thought..."

"Well, I... all right," Elphaba said, unsure if Galinda was planning to murder her once they got back. She'd arrived in their dorm after Galinda had already gone to bed the night before, and left first thing in the morning. She'd carefully inspected the girl's face for redness or puffy eyes, and determined that Galinda had not been crying. She hated to be insensitive, but also felt extremely uncomfortable at the idea of being Galinda's shoulder if she was traumatized by her "breakup" with Fiyero.

Falling into step with Elphaba, Galinda left her gaggle behind and tried to think of how to initiate conversation about Elphaba's husband. Tact had never been her strongest suit, however, and so she simply said, "Fiyero let me know we're not dating. He's in love with someone else, and I... I don't really know him, anyway. I'm totally all right with it. How was your day?"

Elphaba took her time replying. "He... Are you sure...? I'm, my day... My way was all right. What?"

"We'll talk in our dorm," Galinda said knowingly. When they arrived there, she shut and locked the door behind her. "You should just tell people you're married," she suggested.

"What?!"

"all right... I know you're mad, but don't be mad. Because you and Fiyero are super cute, even through my schoolgirl crush I could see the way you two were together at the Ozdust. Not that I think anyone else would guess," she added quickly. "And so I think you should just tell people. And... if you wanted to live with him, I would understand. I can't imagine being married and not living with my husband."

"Trying to get rid of me, are we," Elphaba smirked, her brain mostly occupied with ways in which to torture Fiyero for his blabbermouth.

"Oh, Oz no, Elphie! ...May I call you Elphie?" Galinda didn't wait for a response. "I really... It's nice to have a friend who isn't... You know. Like the others. Fake." She shrugged. "But I'm just saying I'd understand."

"Well, I don't know where you got the idea that Fiyero and I -"

"Elphaba Thropp Tiggular whatever your last name is," Galinda interrupted. "I know you're married to him. And I'm not going to out you. I'm going to help you."

Elphaba looked frightened for perhaps the first time in her life. "Help me?"

"Yes, of course! I've already started," Galinda said, gesturing to her dress. "Green is _in_, Elphie! Why, we have an entire city made of green. You, my friend, are a walking fashion statement."

"You really don't have to do this," Elphaba said, feeling increasingly nervous about the entire thing.

"I feel bad about the hat," Galinda confessed. "And after talking to Fiyero, I realized that I judged you because of your skin colour, which is incredibly backward, and I consider myself pioneering, not just in hats and shoes, but in all things. Or, rather, I'd like to. In any case, I'm never _behind the times_, and so bias would be a stupid place to start."

"You're much smarter than you let on, aren't you," Elphaba murmured.

"Am I?" Galinda seemed genuinely surprised. "Oh, Elphie, your whole life is going to change! And it's all..." Galinda twirled, "because of..." Galinda twirled again, "ME! Yeah!" She stood up straight, clearly ready to get down to business. "Now, first things first. Your hair, your simple frock..." She paused. "I want to keep you _you_ but... better. You understand," she said, as if Elphaba did. "I'll also have to continue spreading the green trend around," she pondered to herself. "OooOOOoooh!! I know! I'll be right back," she said, and, with a trill that sounded suspiciously like some opera finale, danced and twirled out of the room.

"This is a disaster," Elphaba told the room. "That girl is unusual and exceedingly peculiar and altogether..." she sighed, "Quite _impossible_ to describe. She's... blonde." She caught her reflection in the mirror. "And you're at her mercy, now. Aren't you a bright one."

Galinda bounded back in a few minutes later. "I've posted a letter to the top trend magazine in Oz, because they like to know what I'm doing from time to time. Tomorrow night, I'll go out on the town in... well, not _this_ dress, it's clearly daywear. But something green. And of _course_ I'll be asked about it, and _of course_ the other people there will see it. By Thursday, this trend will be everywhere. Until then, Elphie... I'm really going to have to do something about your hair."

When Galinda was right, she was right. Come Thursday morning, most of the students at Shiz had abandoned their uniforms in favour of GreenWear, or Emerald Chic, as it was referred to in the fashion dailies. Miss Galinda Upland's arrival in class in that dress had gone basically unpunished, because she was _Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands_, but now, with all students going as far as to completely abandon school dress code, something had to be done.

Banning it only made it more popular, and, by Friday, Elphaba was being stared at with envy. "She gets to _be_ green," one girl whined. "She doesn't need a uniform."

"I hear that Elphaba Thropp is the latest spokes model for Vertigran Style," whispered another.

"She is soooo pretty," said a third.

Elphaba was finding it strangely off-putting to be so, well, popular. She suspected on some level that it was all a big joke, and so, out of habit, she didn't change much of her daily routine, save spending a lot of time with Galinda. Galinda, for her part, considered this a job _exceedingly_ well done, and knew there was only one step left in the plan.

"She's married to Prince Fiyero Tiggular, you know," she said, casually one Saturday. She was at a café, and had overheard a group of girls were whispering about Elphaba.

When one had said, "I wonder who she's dating. I bet she could have any guy she wanted," Galinda had felt the need to chime in.

"Are you serious?" Another girl turned to stare at Galinda. "I thought... Well, I thought he was dating you," she said, blushing.

"Oh, never," Galinda laughed, as if it was the most ridiculocious thing she'd ever heard. "No, Fiyero and I are dear friends, because he's Elphie's husband. You know how it goes. Also, the Vinkus and the Upper Uplands are working toward mutual agreements in trade," she added. "My momsie and popsicle are deeply associated with Their Highnesses, so it makes sense that I should escort him around when he first arrives somewhere, does it not?"

The three girls nodded fervently. "How long have they been married? Why haven't we heard anything about it?"

"I believe they've been married for half a year," Galinda said, trying to keep it casual, as if Elphaba marrying a handsome prince was to be expected and not something to fuss over. "Elphie is a very serious student, however, and wants to get a degree in her own name, on her own grounds. She didn't want any special treatment just because she was royalty," Galinda added, realizing for the first time that her surly green room mate _was,_ in fact, royalty. "Fiyero's in agony, though. He loves her so much, he's beside himself not telling people they're married. He's still so excited about it."

"Wow, Miss Galinda, you're sure up to date on all the latest gossip," the first girl said.

"I do my best," she shrugged. She saw that she'd arrived at the front of the line, and collected herself. "Well, nice talking to you, girls," she said, and was off to order a latté.

Fiyero and Elphaba were the new It couple by the time Saturday night rolled around. At first, Elphaba was furious at both her beautiful, brainless husband and her beautiful, brainless room mate, but, after realizing that people _still_ seemed all right with her, begrudgingly admitted that she was curious to see if her newfound popularity could last.

Saturday night at the Ozdust Ballroom, they tested it out. Fiyero, entering with Elphaba, had never felt so relieved in his life. People smiled and waved, much like they had in the Emerald City, and he was more than content to pull his wife close and dance with her all night long, though later he would come to the conclusion that Elphaba, music and closeness were dangerous, as he could barely wait to get her home at the end of the night.

Galinda, of course, was to be walked back to the dorm she usually shared with her room mate and left safe and sound with the door locked. Then, and only then, would Elphaba consent to being escorted back to his room.

Once inside his dorm, he kissed her softly, moving her towards the bed with his body. "Hello, wife," he murmured.

"Hello, husband," she smiled. "It's lovely being married to you."


	19. A Sentimental Man

"Elphie, just do it."

Elphaba sighed for the millionth time in as many seconds. "I'm staying here."

"Elphie," Galinda said, again, this time much more pointedly. "Just move in with your husband. He's beginning to look murderous. _At me!_" She paused. "Elphie, what if he kills me?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes, though Galinda's very quiet, very serious question did cause her to smirk. "He shan't kill you, my pretty. It would mean certain divorce for him to kill my best friend."

Galinda blushed and beamed, which was always a fetching combination, and looked at Elphaba adoringly until the green girl started to look extremely uncomfortable. "Youuuu like me," Galinda finally sang. "We're best frieeeeeends..."

"Whatever," Elphaba muttered. "I have to go study."

"Can you please just go study your husband's kissing instead?"

"Galinda Upland," Elphaba cried, shocked. "What's gotten into you? Are you trying to force me out of here?"

Galinda blushed again, squirming. "The two of you need to live together," she said. "It's inspiring. Your love is inspiring. And I... I want love, too. So you two need to make it, and really be happy. So that I can believe that I'll find that someday."

Shocked, and, admittedly, touched, by her room mate's confession, Elphaba crossed to where the blonde sat and dropped down next to her. "You think that the love Fiyero and I share is enough to rub off on you? Are you hoping to be married by summer?"

"I'm not sure," Galinda said, clearly taking the inquiry very seriously. "I just know that I want love in my life, and I think that that means I want love in everyone's life. And you and Fiyero have that, Elphie. It makes me happy to see it. And, also... You have a husband. A _hottified_ husband. And he loves you, and wants you. And you're hanging out here with me, pretending not to _loathe_ my talk about fashion and nails?" Galinda raised an eyebrow at Elphaba, who decided she was uncomfortable having her trademark move turned back on her. "It's ridiculocious. What a waste."

"Galinda..."

"Stay with Fiyero tonight," Galinda suggested, gently. "I'll see you in class tomorrow. And, Elphie?"

"Yes?"

"He said to keep my eyes open," Galinda confessed. "When he was, well, breaking up with me. Fiyero said that unexpected things sometimes makes you happiest, and to keep my eyes open. He was talking about finding love... What does that mean?"

"If it were me, it would be something deep and multifaceted. Fiyero... He's probably noticed someone who likes you, which isn't hard to do. But he's also noticed that _you_ don't seem to notice this person. My guess is that he wants you to see someone who's right in front of you."

"Well who is it?"

Elphaba chuckled. "I don't know, Galinda... I'm only guessing."

"Well... Can you ask him?"

"Why don't _you_ ask him?"

"Because you'll see him sooner," Galinda said, shrugging. "And you can get a better answer out of him. He's not going to de-cryptify to my face. He's going to stay..."

"Cryptic?"

"...ified," Galinda added, nodding. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, Elphie."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, convinced that one of these times, her eyes would simply remain fixed in the top of her head, and tramped off to Fiyero's room.

They were both tired, but stayed up a little while, anyway, lying close together in the moonlight as Fiyero traced the line of her arm gently, causing her to shiver with intense contentment. "Yero?"

"Yes, Phae?"

"Have you noticed anyone hanging around Miss Galinda who seems to have feelings for her?"

"Yes," Fiyero replied. "Every male on campus besides me. Why?"

"Is there anyone you think might be good for her?"

Fiyero shifted. "Why?"

"I don't know," Elphaba shrugged. "She deserves someone. Why do you seem to tense all of a sudden?"

"I'm not," he murmured, kissing her forehead in an attempt to distract her.

"And now you're doing that forehead kiss thing that always makes me go all gooey and forget my point," she continued, certain that he was hiding something. "Don't try to gooey-fy me, Fiyero Tiggular."

"Gooey-fy? You've been spending far too much time with Miss Galinda," Fiyero chuckled.

"What are you hiding?"

"You won't like the guy I like for her," he revealed.

"Why not?"

"Because he's dating your sister."

Elphaba pulled away to look at him, honestly dumbfounded. "You think _Boq_ is a good match for Galinda?"

"They're both incredibly small," Fiyero provided.

Elphaba snorted. "If that's your criteria..."

"Well, you and I are both very tall, and that worked out well, didn't it?" Fiyero paused to grin at her. "But no, of course not. I think that Boq is giving enough to balance out your dear room mate's more... _self-focused_ tendencies. And I think she's zany enough to get him to loosen up. Out of all the guys who chase her around, he's the only one who seems to let his heart lead him rather than his pants. He actually cares about _her_ as a person. I've yet to see any other guy on campus show even half the respect for her that he does on a daily basis."

Elphaba stared at him for a good long while. "Ignoring the fact that this will inevitably break my sister's heart, you are so lovely I can't even articulate it. How do you notice all this?"

"Boq is an easy one," Fiyero commented. "He wears his heart on his sleeve. Though I do think he cares for Nessa... It's clear that he'd do anything for that little blonde."

Elphaba nodded slowly. "I know you're right. I'm sure even Nessa would agree, though never out loud or to anyone but herself. He's very fond of Galinda... It's clear he's wrapped up in her, but I thought it might be a crush... I'm not sure, Fiyero. I'm no good at all this, you know that. Forget I brought it up. Matters of the heart hurt my head."

"Even when it comes to me?"

Elphaba smiled. "No, love. When it comes to my love for you, my heart doesn't even save room for my head." She sighed. "Oh, Boq is so obvious. I feel a fool. He looks at her with more love than anyone -"

"Hey," Fiyero interrupted. "I don't like where it sounds like that was heading. Boq's got nothing on the way I feel about you."

Elphaba thought to herself how sentimental her husband was, and hands on him were all the response he needed.

_Andwedeserveeachother,don'tyouseethisisourchance...?_

"Nessa?"

Nessarose knew that the nerves in her sister's voice were a bad sign. "Yes, Elphaba?"

Elphaba shifted her legs, buying time, and closed her eyes. "I was thinking about you and Boq... I thought... Do you think he's right for you?"

"Of course," Nessa said, staring down at her sister, content in the shade of this tree and her love in her marriage. "Why would you even ask?"

Elphaba glanced up at her sister, perched next to her in her chair, and drew her legs up to her chest, staring out over the grass. "Because... I don't know... You never seem really happy in your relationship. Like, you seem to like _Boq_, but not... The way your life is with Boq. Does that make sense?"

Nessa sighed. "A little, I suppose... He's a very good... He... I just don't think I'm pretty enough for him. Or, fun enough. Or... something."

"Nessie, that's absurd," Elphaba asserted. "You are wonderful. And Boq is wonderful. But maybe you aren't wonderful _together_. Just maybe," she added. "I just thought I'd ask."

"Well, nobody else has ever shown an interest in me, anyway," Nessa reminded her sister.

"Speaking of the solitude of being a Thropp girl, and adding the fact that destiny can _change_," Elphaba said, pointedly squinting at her sister. "Let's go catch up to Fiyero, who has spotted us but clearly doesn't want to intrude. Perhaps he knows somebody for you."

"Oh, you wouldn't ask him, Elphaba," Nessa panicked. "I'd be horrified."

"Of course not, fussy," Elphaba sneered. "But if we're near him, and he has friends near him, we are therefore in proximity to his friends. And then you can judge for yourself," she finished smartly.

Elphaba later decided that se was a witch doctor, a clairvoyant, a fortune teller. As they were crossing the campus, not five minutes after Elphaba's random Proximity Theory, they bumped into an incredibly good-looking young man who seemed thrilled to see Elphaba's husband.

"Fiyero, old buddy!"

"Avaric," Fiyero grinned, throwing his arms around the man with an easy air. "Av, this is my wife, Elphaba, and her sister, Miss Nessarose."

Nessa blushed furiously at the sight of him, especially when he took her hand and kissed it. The man's eyes lingered longer on Elphaba, but, though it was clear he was inspecting her, there was no judgment on his face. "So you're the woman my dear friend has married," he said, clearly taking this introduction very seriously. "You look smart, which is good." He kissed her hand, as well, and Fiyero smiled at her reassuringly.

"You've got his approval, I'd say you're set," he commented. "Av's been like a brother to me on and off for my whole life. I didn't know you'd be here, though," he said, gazing at the man in surprise.

"I finally found a way to balance my work and my studies," the man said, proudly. Fiyero felt a little guilty, but didn't want to bring it up just then. "Speaking of, I have a seminar in about three minutes, so I need to run. We should all meet up for a drink tonight, though. I'll stop by your room later," he called as he began to jog away.

"How do you know where it is?"

"I'll ask some random fangirl," the young man laughed. "Nice to meet you, ladies!"

"He seems nice," Elphaba commented.

"He is."

"How come he wasn't at the wedding?"

Fiyero flushed, looking downcast, then shrugged. "Later," was all he'd say.

Later, when Nessa had gone her separate way (after silently glaring at her sister to find out all she could about Avaric) and school was closing down for the day, Fiyero and Elphaba found themselves strolling hand in hand toward their dorm. "So tell me about Avaric," Elphaba said, casually.

That same look of dismay came across Fiyero's face, and she hated to see it there. She stopped, pulling him close to her, and kissed him lovingly, then smiled up at him until he started to talk. "He... worked for us. He was my servant," Fiyero admitted. "My very best friend in the world, but, still, lower class. He was there for our wedding," he revealed. "He just wasn't allowed to address any of us."

Elphaba felt awful, seeing her husband's guilt. "Yero, my perfect hero," she sighed. "It's not your fault that he had to work for you."

"I know," he nodded. "I just hated it so much, and he was always smarter than I was, but had to work twice as hard to get half as far. I'm glad I could get him into Shiz, but, even so -"

"Wait, _you_ got him into Shiz?"

"Well, I talked my parents into paying half his tuition. They agreed that if his grades were good enough, they would. He had to study hard _and_ work hard. I've never been more ashamed than the last time I got kicked out a school and had to come home to face him, working so hard for it."

"But you always laugh about your exploits," Elphaba remembered.

"Yeah, well... I pushed the guilt away," he admitted. "Av's too good of a guy to ever bring it up and make me feel bad about it, and I was... I was really selfish and stupid before I met you, Phae. I felt bad about it when face to face with him, but, mostly, I pretended I didn't care until... Until I really didn't." He pulled her closer, then. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

"Because you deserve better," he whispered.

"Don't be foolish. Nobody's better than you, my love. You are a good man, and I am proud to be your wife." She looked him in the eye. "Any disservice you feel you may have done to Avaric, make up for it by staying at Shiz and working just as hard as he does, and include him in your life, for you're equals now, as students."

"I love you," he sighed, falling in love with her all over again, feeling the comfort of her arms and her words and knowing she was the thing that made the world make sense.

"I love you more," she replied.

"Not possible."

**AN: I know I use "I love you more" "Not possible" quite often, but think of it as my trademark line, or something. There's an incredibly sappy story behind it, but I won't bore you with it now. Also, I'd love reviews on this, because I was sooo stuck for weeks and weeks on where to go from there. We all know I do better with some angst and struggle ;)**


	20. The Wizard and I

When Nessarose set her heart on something, she tended to get it. One needn't look any farther than her relationship with Boq, which had lasted mostly because she willed it to. But now, faced with the nagging idea that maybe Elphaba was right, and the glaring notion that Avaric was sinfully delicious, Nessa felt that looking to her relationship with Boq should include looking _into the past_.

Boq, who did care for Nessa, wasn't sure how to feel.

Galinda still didn't get it.

And Fiyero and Elphaba, blissfully in love, simply let the others do what they may, having planted the seeds of ideas. They had no intention or desire to push matters further, after all, they had their own relationship to focus on.

Elphaba couldn't believe there had ever been a time when she was afraid of her love for Fiyero. Gone were the days of pulling away from his embrace (unless he picked an especially inopportune moment), worrying that he would "realize he didn't love her", fretting about her appearance and how unworthy she was. She felt herself pulled into him on a much deeper level than she'd ever thought possible, and, though she hated it, was spending more than half her time in Fiyero's room.

Galinda had noticed. "Elphie, could we have a sleepover?"

"A strange thing to say to your room mate," Elphaba pointed out.

"My room mate is mostly living with her husband now," Galinda shot back. "And, though I think that it's best to be that way... I miss her."

Elphaba bestowed a small smile upon Galinda, who took it for the great compliment it was, and grinned. "How about tomorrow night?"

"Oh, Elphie, that would be splendified!"

(Elphaba had told Fiyero that night that the next would be spent with Galinda, and Fiyero had smiled. "Do you suppose this will include pillow fights and tiny nightgowns?"

"No," Elphaba had sighed, rolling her eyes. "But tonight might." And with that, she had whacked him with a pillow, then pounced on him, about which he was not complaining.)

Friday night, Galinda and Elphaba were in their dorm, Galinda on her shoe-ified side, and Elphaba on hers. "Ooooh, Elphie, let's tell each other something we've never told anyone! I'll go first." Galinda took a deep breath, thinking. "I once dyed my hair _brown_." Galinda paused, allowing the enormity of her confession to sink in. "By choice."

Elphaba chuckled. "I can't believe it."

"Alright now you go," Galinda said.

"I don't have any secrets," Elphaba said. At Galinda's look of complete betrayal, Elphaba shrugged. "Seriously."

"Well that's not fair, I told you a really good one," Galinda moaned, flopping face-first onto her bed and, for no apparent reason, lying stock-still in said position for many minutes.

Elphaba sighed. "Alright. I've got one. You're an idiot."

"What?" Galinda flew up, shocked and heartbroken.

"That's not the secret. The secret is _why_ you're an idiot."

"Elphie, you're kind of ruining this game for me," Galinda started.

"Boq completely adores you and you ignore him."

"Who?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda..."

"Wait, did you say it's not a secret that I'm in idiot? Do people think I'm an idiot? I really -"

"_Galinda_," Elphaba barked. "You're not an idiot, hence, it's not a secret that you're an idiot. I was merely pointing out that the secret part was pre-empted by the revelation that you haven't noticed nor seemed to care about the secret, making you appear an idiot."

"What?"

"Never mind." Elphaba took a calming breath and crossed to Galinda's bed. "Galinda, Boq is head over heels for you. And he's smart, and caring, and good-looking, and you... you call him Biq."

"Well, I... Isn't he dating Nessa?"

Elphaba snorted. "Where have you been? Nessa and Boq broke up _weeks_ ago. And Nessa is currently building a very shaky, entirely hilarious relationship with Avaric, Fiyero's friend from home."

"Why is it hilarious?"

"Because they're both so nervous," Elphaba chuckled, looking a little devilish. "Fiyero and I catch ourselves snickering at them all the time."

"You really think I should like Boq? He's so... studious."

"I'm studious," Elphaba pointed out. "You like me."

"In a different way, Elphie," Galinda fussed. "He's just not very thrillifying."

"Because he's not dangerous? Because he won't jerk you around and leave you guessing? Because if he says he loves you, he means it?"

"Well, when you put it like _that_ -"

"Fiyero is all those things: loyal, honest, caring..."

"But Fiyero is _different_. He's... manly."

"Compared to you, _Nessa_ is manly, Galinda," Elphaba sighed. "Boq could put on an act and pretend to be your stereotypical type, but he respects you too much to do that. It's awful that he's never been rewarded for being decent." She paused. "How do you like my secret so far?"

"It's giving me a headache," Galinda revealed.

"Well, anyway. He's single, you're single. You're both short, which, I've heard, is a good reason to get together," Elphaba said, smiling. "And you could teach him to have fun and he could teach you to study. I'm not saying you have to force it, just... Don't write him off. Keep your eyes open, remember?"

Galinda gasped, then opened her eyes as wide as she could. "Elphie, were you always this smart about love?"

Elphaba smirked. "Not even a little." She smiled at Galinda. "Just... think about it."

"That was a very confusifying secret," Galinda grumbled. "But I will. I will think about it."

Elphaba looked proud for a moment. "I have another secret."

"OOoooohoOOOOhhhhhh," Galinda said, kicking her legs with excitement. "Wait," she stopped. "Is it a good one this time?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "The Wizard wants to meet me."

Galinda gasped. "Oh, Elphie! That's wonderful! When do you go?"

"I'm not sure," Elphaba said, picking at her bedspread. "I don't know if I can. I mean, I'm married, I'm happy... Though I do want to help the Animals, and I think that the Wizard might be the only way to do that."

"But, Elphie, Fiyero would understand. And the Emerald City! I've always wanted to see the Emerald City!"

"We've been," Elphaba revealed. "I got sucked into hiding behind the green glasses everyone wears there. And Fiyero would miss the Vinkus, and I would, too. And I'd miss school. Galinda, I'm not sure..."

"Well, what does Fiyero think?"

"I haven't told him, yet," Elphaba admitted.

"Heavens, Elphie, whyever not?"

"Because he'd make me go, I know he would. And while he was doing it, he'd put on a brave face, but I'd see it in his eyes, I'd know he was worried, I'd know... I sort of want to know how I feel before I ask him to feel a certain way."

Galinda nodded. "Whatever you think is best," she shrugged. "Elphie... may I do your hair?"

Elphaba sighed. "But..."

"Please? You _did_ call me an idiot earlier," she reminded her room mate.

"But I wasn't serious..."

"Hold still, Elphie."


	21. For Good

"Yero my Hero?"

"Mmm?"

Elphaba took a deep breath, enjoying the way he traced lazy invisible shapes on her arm as they lay close together on his bed. "I have something to tell you."

When she didn't continue, he looked up to find her gazing downward, and furrowed his brow, concerned. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, of course, I just... Well, I need to tell you that something's happened, and..."

"Phae," he murmured. "What is it?" She didn't answer. "Are you pregnant?"

Elphaba gasped, then grinned. "Not that I know of, but that would certainly be bigger news than I have, which bodes well. Wait," she said, gazing up at him. "Would you have freaked out if I was?"

"Not at all," he smiled, shaking his head. "Except that I know it would throw a wrench in your studying, and I'd fear for my safety as your frustration grew, what with being the cause of your distraction."

Elphaba smiled and kissed him, because he was wonderful, and because she would always be safe with him. "All right, Tiggular," she smirked. "My _actual_ news... The Wizard wants to meet me."

Fiyero grinned, pulling her close. "That's perfect!! Phae, you've worked so hard, you deserve this!"

"Will you come with me? I want you and Galinda to come with me, to the Emerald City."

"That would be perfect," he nodded, kissing her forehead.

Elphaba took a deep breath in, then sighed with a dreamy sort of contentment at the security of being enfolded in the strongest and most loving embrace in history.

With her own life so perfect, Elphaba hoped she could convince the Wizard to help the Animals, as well.

_OneshortdayintheEmeraldCity..._

How had this gone so wrong? The Wizard had no real power, it seemed, and had had used her to painfully transform monkeys into... winged monkeys.

"Won't they make perfect spies," Morrible crowed. How the head Shiz-tress had gone from school administrator to Press Secretary was now clear: she was diabolical.

"Spies?!"

The Wizard, Morrible and Galinda gazed at Elphaba, whose one word echoed with betrayal throughout the grand throne room.

The Wizard winced. "You're right, that's a harsh word... How about... scouts? That's what they'll be really. They'll fly around Oz, report any subversive Animal activity." He paused. "So, what do you say?"

"Elphie, think of Fiyero," Galinda murmured, taking her friend's hand. "Don't fly off the handle, he needs you."

"I...!" Elphaba took a shaky breath. "I would love nothing more," Elphaba forced out. "But I'm... I'm not sure that I'm ready. Not yet, anyway. I don't think I have quite enough of a hold on my powers. Perhaps with a little more time at Shiz. Perhaps I... I would also have to talk it over with my husband."

Both Morrible and the Wizard looked incredibly disappointed. "But, you see what you can do," Morrible cried. "That is _talent_, my dear!"

"I'm not..." Elphaba was dangerously close to losing her temper, and started to back away. "Thank you, very much," she said, fleeing more rapidly.

"She knows too much," Morrible murmured. "We should have the guards -"

"Wait," Galinda interrupted. "I... What about me?" Elphaba had known right away that to defy the Wizard would be dangerous, and Galinda felt foolish for just now clueing in. They couldn't be angry at Elphie, she just couldn't live with herself.

"What about _you_?" Morrible sneered.

"Well, I'm not as talented as Elphie. I'm... Well, Madame, you know that I am miles behind her in sorcery. But I'm learning, and Elphie can help me. What if I came, now? Not in the same capacity, but... Perhaps as a representative of the Wizard, someone the people can... find encouraging in this difficult time. People do seem to like me," she mused. "And, with me on your staff, then... When Elphaba's ready, I'm sure that she would follow." She paused. "I know it's her you want, but..."

"No, that's a good idea," the Wizard said, thinking it over. "A beautiful young public figure is just what we need... And, as you say, your friend can take her time and come to us, later. After all," he said, gazing at Morrible. "With her friend here and a husband at Shiz, she's not going anywhere..."

Morrible gazed at Galinda as if trying to decide what her hidden agenda was. "Leave us for a moment," she finally commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," Galinda said, bouncing into a curtsy before exiting the grand throne room.

Outside the door, Elphaba was whispering heatedly with Fiyero, who had a strong grip on her arms. "Phae, it isn't - Oh, Galinda," he said, when she emerged. "Will you talk some sense into her?"

The Wizard had seen fit to give him a tour of Gale Force life, just in case he needed something to do with his wife in power, and he'd been yawning through the tour when Elphaba and Galinda had gone in. He was thankful he'd returned before Elphaba had come barreling out of the room, but wished he'd gone in with her to begin with...

"I have to fight him, Galinda," Elphaba said. "He's the reason the Animals-"

"Elphie, they were going to call the guards. If they think you're angry, they'll... Oh, Elphie!"

"We should get out of here," Fiyero murmured, now only intent upon keeping his wife safe.

"They're... Talking about me," Galinda said. "If you don't run now, then if they decide they're angry it'll be too late. If you do run, they might think you're going to tell... I don't know what to do!"

A guard appeared behind her, then. "Miss Galinda, your presence is requested in the Throne Room."

While the friends had been talking, the Wizard had been talking Morrible down. "If she flees now, we may never recover her. Keep her little friend close, give a bright face to the stories we're telling, and we still have a chance. Perhaps she does need some time, perhaps she does need to talk it over with her husband."

"Perhaps if she didn't have anything to lose, she'd be more agreeable," Morrible had interjected.

"Now, honestly," he had tsked. "We should have Miss Galinda brought back in. She's useful, one way or another."

Galinda disappeared into the Wizard's throne room, and Elphaba chewed on her fingernails. "What if the best thing to do is to get a head start?"

"I think the guards would be here by now if they were going to come," Fiyero murmured reassuringly. He took a deep breath. "Phae... Will you be able to return to Shiz, knowing what you know?"

Elphaba's face fell, and she shook her head, trying not to cry. "I've wanted it all my life," she whispered. "But no, I don't think so. I don't - _can't_ - want it anymore." She took two shuddering breaths as Fiyero kissed her forehead. "What do we do now?"

"Wherever you are, that's where I want to be. We could go back to the Vinkus... They'll protect us if worse comes to worst. I'll go wherever you want me to, as long as we're together, that's all that matters."

"I think that would be best," Elphaba nodded. "Back home. For the better, for good."

Inside the room that housed Elphaba's broken dreams, when Galinda entered, the Wizard addressed her directly. "You are a very smart young lady," he smiled. "We think it's a wonderful idea, to hire you on. I'd like to officially invite you to join my staff, Miss Galinda."

"If you please, your Ozness..." Galinda took a deep breath, thinking of Elphie, of what she believed in, and why. She thought of Dillamond, and spoke as clearly as she could, though her voice trembled beyond her control. "It's _Glinda_, now. The 'Ga' is... silent."


	22. As Long As You're Mine

Elphaba and Fiyero had been settled in the Vinkus for three months, with letters from Glinda arriving almost weekly. She had officially moved into the Emerald Palace, and was keeping an eye and ear out for any word that Morrible and the Wizard had deemed Elphaba a threat, but had done a very good job at convincing them that Elphaba was in no hurry to trouble them, "what with her situation."

_My Dearest Darlingest Elphie and Fiyero, _she had written in her first letter.

_I hope you will forgive me for the briefness of this letter, but I have the most urgent business of packing to attend to, and seeing as how you've left me all aloneified, I have to do the majority of this hideodious packing MYSELF. I would never trust anyone but my closest friends to help me with that!_

_Anywho, I simply wanted to inform you of the latest goings-on. I hope you won't mind that I felt compelled to let our dear Wizard and his esteemed colleague Madame Morrible in on your little secret. I explained to them that the reason you were acting so strangeified that day in the Emerald City was because of the nausea due to your pregnancy. Now, Elphie, I KNOW that this is a very personal matter, but they simply HAD to know all the details, because they were deeply concerned, and they, of course, send their very warmest congratulotions._

_I am, as you can imagine, extremely curious about how you have been doing, but considering the time it will take for this letter to reach you, then return, and, of course, be screened by the Palace officials, I won't know for weeks and weeks!! Perhaps I can schedule a trip out there to visit the two of you?_

_It's always so much more effective to speak face to face, don't you agree?_

_Nessa and Avaric send their love; I hear they plan on visiting you when the school year is up._

_And Boq... Boq is just divine._

_All my love, my dearest friends. Be good to one another, as you are still my shining example of true love in this world,_

_Yours always,_

_Glinda (formerly Galinda) Upland of the Upper Uplands (or maybe, someday, Munchkinland) via the Emerald City_

"What a clever little minx," Elphaba had murmured. "Apparently, I'm pregnant, that's why I seemed so confused, and why I've since fled Shiz and the reaches of the Wizard; and our correspondence will be read by others. I always knew she had more brains than she let on."

"But what if you're checked on and discovered not to be with child?" Fiyero had murmured in her ear, nuzzling her. "Perhaps you should be, just in case."

She had laughed. "You want to commit to a child for the sake of a lie? We could always say we lost it if we had to."

Fiyero had straightened, looking sick. "Don't even joke about that, Phae. That would devastate me."

She'd felt guilty instantly, wondering how he managed to break her heart so easily. "I'm sorry."

Since then, letters from Glinda had been mostly business, though the small tidbits about her burgeoning relationship with Boq served to satisfy Elphaba, who proved to be (though she hated to admit it) in need of Girl Talk. "Think of all the hours you could have spent doing so with Glinda, when instead you rolled your eyes and grumbled," Fiyero teased, leaning over her shoulder to drop a kiss on her cheek as she threaded a needle.

"It's been three months without her, Yero, and I want... I want to talk to her about things. I know I have you, but... You know..."

He smiled at her adoringly. "I hope she can come, soon. Though, perhaps her arrival shouldn't correspond with the arrival of Avaric and Nessa. He's written to confirm, did I mention?"

"Yes, dear," Elphaba replied, squinting at the patch she was mending in her favorite skirt. He gazed at her and grinned, loving being called 'dear', and, though he wasn't sure why, the sight of her fixing her skirt. It was so unbelievably ordinary; they were perfectly content in their marriage. "When do they arrive, again?"

"A week from Thursday. It's not like you to be forgetful," he realized aloud. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine," she murmured. "I'm just lazy, I suppose."

"Lazy," he scoffed. "You insist upon mending your own clothes, despite the fact that you're a crown princess. I'd say you're anything but lazy."

"Then perhaps it's the baby," she shrugged idly.

Fiyero froze. "The what?"

"The baby, our baby." She smiled, set her sewing down, and looked up at him. "Are you pleased?"

"Are you _serious_?"

She nodded. "Of course I am."

He rushed to her, pulling her up into his arms and into the air, unable to resist spinning her around. "I can't believe... How long have you known?"

"I only confirmed it today, though I've suspected for awhile. I'm at about six weeks..."

Fiyero placed her down gently and kissed her deeply, languidly, feeling a mingling of pride and joy that he never would have anticipated. "I'm overjoyed," he confessed.

"Are you sure you feel ready?"

"Yes, I do. More than ready. A baby, with you... Phae, it's sublime. Are _you_ happy?"

She gazed into his eyes, and traced his cheek with the pads of her fingers. "I hope our baby looks just like you," she murmured.

He kissed her again, because he couldn't help it, and their kiss soon became more, as it often did. "Wait, can we... Is it safe, to...?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Of course," she smiled. Taking in his look of concern, she added, "I asked."

"You did, did you," he drawled lustily.

"I certainly did," she articulated. "Nine months without you would kill me, I'm sure."

"Seven and a half," he corrected, grinning. "I can't believe I couldn't tell."

"I won't be showing for awhile."

"A baby," he crowed, still not sure he could believe it.

"Yero, you were undressing me," she reminded him.

"Oh, of course," he said, resuming his work with earnest effort.

_I'llwakeupmybody,andmakeupforlosttime..._

A little over a week later, when Nessa and Avaric arrived, Fiyero was under strict instruction to keep his mouth firmly shut on the issue of the tiny person growing inside his wife. Elphaba felt some sort of burning compulsion to tell Glinda first, which Fiyero found so heartwarming that he had to comply, though keeping it from Avaric was going to be difficult.

One night on the terrace, glasses of warm brandy in hand, Fiyero was so close to screaming it that he thought he might actually break down and sob. Avaric was studying him strangely, and he wished that Elphaba was out there to glare him into silence, but she was upstairs with Nessa. "She's glowing," Avaric finally said.

"The moon?"

Avaric chuckled, endeared to Fiyero's meager attempt at discretion. "Your wife, mate," he smiled. "She glows. And, admittedly, she was always quite radiant, but she's... If she isn't pregnant, then I don't know who is."

"Many people are probably pregnant at this very moment," Fiyero tried.

"Fiyero, man, why are you trying to lie to me? You know you can't."

"Because if I were to tell you something that big, assuming it were true, you'd tell Nessa. And Nessa, in this case, wouldn't be allowed to know this secret before Glinda, even though Nessa is, in fact, Elphaba's sister. So really, the moon is glowing on the many pregnant women in the world."

"I won't tell Nessa, if that's what Elphie wants," Avaric smiled, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders. "You're going to be a father!"

Fiyero closed his eyes. "The idea of something that is half Phae and half me is so overwhelmingly beautiful it makes my head spin," he confessed.

"Congratulations," Avaric whispered. "I won't tell a soul. Until you tell me I can. Then, I'll probably tell everyone."

"Well, if you're going to be the godfather, you might as well," Fiyero shrugged.

Avaric pulled him into a firm hug at that. "Are you serious? Fiyero, my brother, it would an honour!"

"The feeling is mutual, Av. I love you, man."

"You're a good kid," Avaric grinned. "I love you too."

Nessa and Avaric were off to Munchkinland soon after, and Nessarose had not been privy to the news of Elphaba's pregnancy. It was for the better, really, as Nessa would have found it impossible to keep that tidbit from their father.

"That was torturous," Elphaba moaned when they were out of sight. "But I simply must tell Glinda first. I'm not sure why. But I must."

"Well, she arrives in a week. Can you handle it?"

"Of course," Elphaba scoffed.

"Well I can't," Fiyero cried. "I'm bursting!"

"Wasn't telling your parents enough?"

"If I could tell them anew every hour of every day, maybe." Fiyero pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "Come, let's occupy ourselves."

"You are so typically male," she smirked.

"I was referring to reading," Fiyero scoffed, adopting a snooty accent. "Honestly, Miss Elphaba; such a dirty mind."

"Oh, well I was actually thinking of this book that I found -"

"Oh, no," Fiyero argued, scooping her up. "Bedroom. Now."

_Kissmetoofiercely,holdmetootight..._

Glinda Upland had always traveled in style, and that would never change. She arrived in the Vinkus all ornate, flowing and glittering, though she was enveloped in Elphaba's arms so quickly she almost disappeared, much like a light being flicked out. Elphaba held her close, her embrace fierce, for so long it made Fiyero feel a little misty, then released the little blonde, who, overwhelmed, threw herself into Elphaba once more, arms around the taller girl's neck and feet straining to keep the body and pouffy awkward dress on tiptoe.

"Elphie, I've missed you so much I can barely stand it," she said when they parted for real, brushing a tear from the corner of her eye. "I'm so sick of telling everybody how _wonderful_ everything is!"

"Well, you're a public figure now," Elphaba soothed. "People expect you -"

"To lie?"

"To be encouraging," Elphaba finished, gently. "How long can you stay?"

Glinda beamed. "I've planned for two whole weeks here and two whole weeks at Momsie and Popsicle's, with Boq meeting me there, then a week in Munchkinland! Speaking of, Boq is sorry he couldn't make it, his family had some business with him and he needed to be there," she apologized.

Elphaba linked her arm with Glinda's and led the smaller girl to where Fiyero stood just outside the main doors. She couldn't help by recall the first time she'd arrived here, all full of fear and aflutter with all-encompassing feelings for Fiyero. Fiyero, who was now her husband of over a year. Fiyero, whose baby she would have in seven months.

Fiyero.

Beautiful Fiyero.

"Glinda," he greeted, kissing the blonde on the cheek and grinning at her. "You have no idea how lovely it is to see you."

"Oh, yes, it's good to see me, isn't it," Glinda said, pretending to wave at a crowd of adoring fans. Fiyero chuckled. "You're so tanned and manly-looking, Fiyero. The VInkus is good for you! Or perhaps I've simply grown used to the greenish tinge on everyone's skin in the Emerald City." She turned to Elphaba. "Your skin is positively divine, my Elphie, because it's so rich, but everyone else just looks like they might vomit." She sighed. "I'm always so awfully afraid that one day one of them _will_, and all over one of my good pairs of shoes."

"Well, they're just shoes Glinda," Elphaba reminded her.

"Come, ladies. Let's show Miss Glinda to her room," Fiyero suggested. "I assume you'll be staying with her tonight, Elphie?"

"Don't you start with that ridiculous nickname, as well, Fiyero," Elphaba bossed. "Oz, five minutes in her presence and you're calling me Elphie? What's next, are you going to 'toss toss' your hair?"

"I would _never_ do it now, but I used to be quite good at 'toss toss'ing my hair," Fiyero shot back. "I _am_ a rather swankified and scandalacious prince, you know."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, and Glinda sobbed, but only once. At the looks (of mild horror on Elphaba's part and amused curiosity on Fiyero's) she received from her friends she explained, "I've missed her eye rolling."

"Let's get you settled," Fiyero tried again, changing the subject before Elphaba could confess she missed frilly pink dressed littering every surface and forevermore be embarrassed and surly about it.

With Glinda unpacking some of her (many) things, Fiyero pulled his wife aside. "You were planning on telling her soon, right?"

"No," Elphaba sneered. "I thought I'd wait till the middle of the night so that her damn shrieking could wake the entire household, _and_, I suspect, raise the dead."

Fiyero smiled at her lopsidedly and kissed her. "Is this a private confession?"

"I think if we stand together and say 'we're pregnant', she'll be so overwhelmed trying to congratulate both of us, ask about names, volunteer to be its stylist... And then try to get you on her side when I say no, and have to run back and forth between us... Maybe I should just tell her? Unless you want to be there," she added.

Fiyero was laughing at the mental image of Glinda trying to include them both in her own personal joy at their news, and shook his head. "No, darling, I think it's best if it comes from only you."

"Alright, then," she said, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. "Do you think she can damage the baby's ears at this stage?"

"Let's hope not," he smiled, kissing her soundly. "Good luck."

Glinda was sitting on her bed when Elphaba entered, surrounded by a few puffy dresses. "I got so tired trying to unpack," she explained. "I might just need to rest my eyes."

"Oh, well I can come back later," Elphaba said.

"You will not," Glinda barked, patting the bed next to her. "Come tell me all your secrets," she said. "It's awful, not being able to really say anything to you in our letters."

Elphaba moved to sit next to Glinda, leaning back against the pillows as well. "I was quite impressed with how you let me know about that, though, Glin. You're rather clever, when you want to be."

"Thanks, Elphie," Glinda said, blushing faintly. "What's new with you? I know I'll start to ramble if we start with me, because I can't help it. And I want to know all about your life here. But before I forget... That book, the Grimmerie. I know you'll need it, eventually. I just need to find a way to get it to you. I know you can put it to better use than Morrible will. I just don't know how to get it from where she's keeping it, and..."

"It's alright, Glinda, I'm pretty busy, I... Well, I don't want you to risk yourself, either."

"I won't be, Elphie. She can't read the stupid old thing, she never uses it. She wouldn't notice it was gone till it was far too late. I was thinking, though, that if I took it right before I went to see you, that she might realize. So I thought I'd take it and hide it somewhere for a long time so that she doesn't trace it to us." She paused. "Eventually." She paused again. "Enough about that. What's been keeping you busy?"

"Actually, I wanted to tell you something," Elphaba said. "But you have to promise to be gentle with me, and as quiet as you possibly can."

"What is it, Elphie? Are you sick?"

"I'm pregnant."

Glinda's jaw dropped, and she froze, clearly surprised into some sort of rather pretty but altogether uncomfortable stupor. Elphaba simply watched her, waiting for the collapse, and then it came. "OH Elphie, ooooOOOoooooh!!" She flung her arms around her friend, unable to help herself, and hugged her tight and then flopped back. "That is simply the most excitifying news in the whole wide world!! A teeny baby!! Is it a girl? May I please please _pleeeeease_ buy her pink things? It's only fair, Elphie, if you're going to poison her against it, that I do what I can to restore balance to her perception of the colour!"

"And if it's a boy?"

"Wearing pink will show that he's comfortable with his masculinity," Glinda shrugged.

"Or his _femininity,_" Elphaba murmured, chuckling.

"Now, Fiyero would look absutively _wonderful_ in - ooOOOOoOOOOHHH FIYEROOOOOOOO!!" Glinda bounced up from her bed. "I have to congratulify him!! He's going to be the bestest -" she paused, thinking of her own popsicle. "Well, second-bestest... Alright, he's going to be really good at - Oh, Elphie, I feel like I'm young again!!"

Elphaba cackled, unable to help being infected with Glinda's very potent joy. "You're still young, my pretty," she pointed out.

"Oh these last few months have aged me, Elphaba," Glinda sighed, returning to sit next to her friend. "I've missed you so. I simply must see you more often than I do. Even getting away from all of the... Well, let's never mind," she fussed, reaching out to take Elphaba's hands in hers. "You're going to be a mother, and a wonderful one at that!"

"I must thank you, Glinda," Elphaba said, squeezing the blonde's hands. "For doing what you did. You've no doubt saved me a world of trouble... More trouble than I can probably imagine. My life is so... I know it's because you took that job that I'm able to be here with Fiyero and live my life at peace, and I will always be grateful."

"Oh, Elphie," Glinda murmured. "You're the best friend I ever had. I'd do anything for you."

"You're the _only_ friend I ever had," Elphaba pointed out. "Well, unless you count Fiyero as a friend."

"_Naked_ friends," Glinda giggled, looking mischievous.

"Wicked little tart."

"Surly old green bean."

"Will you be the baby's godmother?"

Glinda froze, genuinely touched and surprised. "Way to catch me off guard, Elphie, I was just about done being all misty-eyed," she scolded.

"That was the point," Elphaba smirked.

"Oh, but won't Nessa be disappointed?"

"My baby needs you, Glinda. You were sort of right about educating it about pink, and -"

"You mean I _can_ teach her to love pink?"

"No," Elphaba said, smiling. "But she'll need to learn how to put on makeup. Or, if she's a boy, then..."

"Fashion will still be important. He'll be a prince, you know. People will be _looking _at him."

"As long as he isn't green," Elphaba murmured.

"Are you forgetting how hard I worked to make green the new thing? Honestly, Elphaba," Glinda sighed.

"You still haven't answered me."

"I'd be thillified," Glinda said, smiling. "You know, Elphie, if it _is_ a girl, I always thought that Galinda was a very lovelified name..."

"GAlinda? With a 'Ga'?"

"Well we can't all have a _silent_ 'Ga', somebody's got to have an unsilent 'Ga'!" Glinda sat up. "Let's go find Fiyero. I really do want to offer my congratulotions."

Elphaba acquiesced, and, not surprisingly, Glinda did cry and attempt to hug them both, then tried to get Fiyero on her side about the importance of pink in a child's life.

Watching the two of them converse, Elphaba couldn't help letting a hand rest on her stomach, which had yet to show any real signs of growth, but which, she knew, contained a future she never thought she'd have in "a horrendous arranged marriage with some stupid Prince from the stupid Vinkus".

"_So you don't even want to get married?" _Fiyero had asked her, after they'd played at marriage at Mrs Drek's all those months ago.

"_If the right person came along," _she had said._ "I would want to share my life with someone, if he wanted to share his life with me."_

How lucky she had ended up, she realized. Sure, she'd wanted to complete her education at Shiz, but that had been when the diploma would have led to a chance to change Oz for the better, something she didn't see happening with the Wizard in power. She'd gotten a little bit of education, and, really, married into a rather wonderful library.

She'd met Glinda at Shiz, and made the first and best friend she could have ever asked for, and now, with Glinda's help, it seemed the world might full of different possibilities, different roads to travel. Perhaps they weren't what she'd planned, but that didn't mean they wouldn't lead somewhere exquisite.

Fiyero had asked her why she didn't want to be a princess the first day he'd met her. She hadn't known then that he had the capacity to make her one, but her answer would have been the same, regardless: "_I don't fancy being a princess because I want MORE ... My entire life has been limited, and I want -" _she had stopped herself, realizing she was sharing too much.

"_What?"_ Fiyero had asked, curious. _"What do you want?"_

She hadn't known then, and neither had he, that he would end up willing to try to give her everything she hoped for, if she'd only tell him what she wanted. _"I want a future that is UNlimited," _she had revealed.

"_Maybe this prince would let you have that, you never know."_

Considering the man in front of her, Elphaba felt her heart soaring, which it often did when she took a moment to truly let herself think of how wonderful he really was. _You never know_, she thought to herself. _You really do never know..._


End file.
